What Happens in Vegas
by Code LJ
Summary: Why is Cobra hanging out in Vegas?  The team goes to investigate.  Primarily Lady Jaye, but with Gung Ho, Flint, Scarlett, Roadblock, and others.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: The usual disclaimers apply. Finally complete! After 32 chapters, though, the story will have to continue in a companion piece/sequel. Enjoy!  
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"How the hell you managed to pull Vegas…." Ace shook his head. "And why I'm not invited along…"

"Can it, Brad!" Scarlett interrupted, laughing. "We don't need an undercover gambler!"

The talking died down as Hawk raised his hand. "Just to recap," he reminded the assembled group. "I'm sending a small team to Vegas because several Cobra officials were observed there, and we need to find out what they're up to," he said, using the remote in his hand to flash a security camera picture on the screen. He flashed through several more, before continuing. "Scarlett, Flint, Gung Ho, and Roadblock…..I'll need to see you after the meeting to discuss the assignment. The rest of us will be on backup, in case it's needed. That'll be all."

After the others had left, Hawk shut the door and turned to the group.

"Our new covert agent, Lady Jaye, will be meeting you out there. I sent here after Scarlett first brought this situation to my attention. She's laying out some intell work. Know that she is in, um, disguise, and will contact you."

Flint frowned. "How will we be able to communicate with her, to let her know we're there? I'm afraid I don't quite understand…"

Hawk looked uncomfortable. "She'll find you, trust me. She also has a comm. linked to the Joe frequency, but she's under cover. I'd rather her find you, under the circumstances."

He gave them a few more objectives before dismissing them to pack. He hurried out of the room.

The group looked at one another, confused.

"What the heck was that all about?" asked Gung Ho. "I don't think I've ever seen him leave a room that quick!"

Scarlett shrugged. She didn't know any more than the guys. She wondered if Hawk's discomfort had to do with Lady Jaye's cover, but she didn't want to mention that aloud. She figured Flint would have the hardest time with this mission. He was a straight-forward kind of guy, and that spilled over into his military career. He didn't go for the cloak and dagger that Lady Jaye had brought to the team. Oh sure, he saw its necessities, he had confided to her one day not long after Lady Jaye had joined GI Joe, but why not just a frontal attack?

Scarlett filled the team in on more details as they flew to their destination.

"We suspect that Cobra is trying to drum up financial support in Vegas, having visited several high level mob bosses." She passed grainy pictures around the group. "This is thanks to the CIA who passed these on to us once they knew they were dealing with Cobra. Their job is to watch the bosses, not our snaky friends. I think they were more than happy to pass it off," she commented wryly, remembering her conversation with one of the agents.

"So we have no idea where Lady Jaye is or when she'll contact us, or even if she knows we're coming," Flint sighed, not liking all the loose ends to this mission. "Hawk seems confident she'll find us, but I'm not so sure. Vegas is a big place."

"Well," commented Roadblock, speaking up for the first time, "we've seen before how she works, so I figure if Hawk has confidence in her, then we should, too."

They dwelled on that for a moment, each thinking about their CO's unusual lack of details.

Gung Ho shrugged. "I'm sure Hawk's already let her know we're on our way." He chuckled. "Maybe she's a showgirl at the place we're heading."

"Maybe she's a stripper." Scarlett grinned evilly when the others looked at her in shock. "What? It would explain his attitude! Then again, knowing what showgirls wear, or rather, don't anymore…could be either one!" she shrugged.


	2. Chapter 2

They arrived at the casino, dressed as tourists coming to enjoy the Vegas life. Flint felt weird in his civilian clothes, knowing he was on assignment, but comforted himself with the thought that he still had his weapon strapped to him, in case of trouble.

Scarlett led them to the cashier's window, where each Joe used their forged IDs to sign up for the casino's player cards. They then wandered through the endless maze of slot machines, until Roadblock pointed out one to the crew. "I like this one," he said with a smile.

They read the title. "Snake's Revenge," Flint read aloud, chuckling. "Figures."

They each tried their luck at the game, as well as at a couple of the surrounding machines. Scarlett grinned. "I can see Brad busting a gut, knowing what we're doing right now."

"What are you thinking?" Gung Ho threw back at her. "He would've found his own private poker game to con someone outta their money. He'd either clean up here, or be banned for life!"

"Can I get you a drink?" asked a waitress, one of the many circulating the casino. She spoke in a low husky tone, her short black skirt leaving nothing to the imagination. Scarlett felt sorry for the waitresses who were obviously hoping for big tips from the male patrons. Since they all seemed to dress alike in the tight shirts and short skirts, all in black, with black heeled hip boots, she figured it must work pretty well. This one's shirt didn't even meet her skirt, revealing a sparkling diamond belly ring.

"Nothing right now, thanks," Flint told her, his eyes taking in her swept back brown hair in the rhinestone clip, too heavy eye makeup, pausing on the belly ring, then continuing all the way down to the heel of her boots.

"You sure, handsome?" she purred, giving Flint a slow, sexy smile. "We serve both alcoholic and non. Also, free courtesy ice water, in case you get….thirsty. All you have to do is let me know and I can get… anything…for you."

"I'll take a water!" Gung Ho spoke up, looking at her appreciatively. The waitress turned her smile on him, then disappeared. "What?" he asked when he saw the others glaring at him. "She said it was free!"

"We're not here to oogle, dude, get your head back in the game!" Roadblock chuckled.

Scarlett rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "You guys are so dense."

They all turned to her, looking at her questioningly. She smirked. "Fine. Do it your way, then."

The waitress reappeared, sidling up to Gung Ho. "Here's your water, hon," she told him, her fingers lingering as he took the glass. "I know how you big guys can get…thirsty, so I didn't overload it with ice," she purred again.

She glanced once again at the rest of the group, her eyes taking in their military stance. You never could hide a soldier, she thought.

"Anything else?" she asked, keeping her thoughts to herself.

Scarlett looked once more at the guys she was with, but they seemed distracted by the waitress's belly ring. Or was it what her shirt and skirt didn't cover? Either way, she felt like knocking heads together.

"Sure, I'd like something," Scarlett told her in a sugary sweet, southern tone. "Can I get a snake with a twist?"

The waitress smiled seductively at her. "Sure, Red. Will that be a double or single? I'd recommend the double. I could throw in an eastern european for one of your friends here. They're running a special."

Scarlett chuckled, proud she had guessed right. Oh, but she was good, not breaking character at all! Scarlett hadn't had a chance to see her in action before, and she had to admit, she was impressed.

"Nice getup. They have to paint that shirt on or what? Gotta say, LOVE the belly ring!" she cracked.

The waitress cocked a hip, her tray still balanced on her other hand. She was glaring at Scarlett now, her eyes narrowed. "You got a problem with how I look? Your friends sure don't!" She traced a finger from her free hand down Gung Ho's arm, giving him a soft smile. He grinned goofily back at her, entranced.

Roadblock cleared his throat, and Gung Ho came out of his spell. Sensing something was going on, the three male Joes looked first from Scarlett back to the waitress, confused. Why was Scarlett being so rude?

"So how have the tips been tonight? And which one of those is for me?" asked Scarlett, nodding her head towards the tray.

The waitress smiled, handing her a diet soda. "Non alcoholic. I know you can't drink on the job," she whispered to Scarlett, winking, bending slightly just for the hell of it as she handed her the drink. She straightened, knowing where the guys' eyes had been, and set the tray down on a nearby holder.


	3. Chapter 3

Gung Ho was the first to realize what was up and choked on the water he was drinking.

The waitress laughed. "Let me show you to the private room you booked." She cocked a finger, motioning for them to follow her, taking her tray with her, pausing to deliver drinks and collect tips as they made their way across the casino.

Realization dawned on the other two Joes and Flint was sure if he had a drink, he would have done a classic TV sitcom spit take. THIS was Lady Jaye?

The woman ahead of them, her hips swaying seductively, the trim ass, belly ring, the long legs, the one getting him all hot and bothered…. looked **nothing** like the short-haired pixie he had worked with before! Maybe this woman was leading them to Jaye, and Scarlett had just told her the right code words. Damn, but this is why he didn't like all this cloak and dagger shit!

Closing the door behind the small group and locking it, the waitress's eyes flicked to the security cameras. From her tray, she checked a small device that looked like a PDA, which all the waitresses carried that printed receipts. Hers, however, was slightly modified. She nodded, satisfied with what she saw.

"We can't be monitored," she informed them. "I've scrambled the signal from the security cameras, so we can't be seen or overheard. You can speak freely," she announced, perching on the edge of the table. "You mind if I take these off?" she asked, gesturing towards her boots. "I don't know how these girls do it day in and day out!"

She couldn't help it. She knew by Scarlett's eye roll and the guys' red faces that she was getting to them, and she had to admit, she was thoroughly enjoying herself! She tried not to grin, wondering how the straight-laced Flint was taking this all in.

Her teammates eyes popped as she pulled a knife from each boot, as well as a flat taser and what looked to be a comm. link. She smiled at their reactions. "There's really no other place to hide anything on this outfit. A girl has to be prepared!" she quipped. The males in the room tried to avert their eyes as she unzipped first one, then the other boot, letting them drop to the floor.

Scarlett chuckled. "Nice outfit. I think it's made our teammates dumbstruck."

Lady Jaye grinned. "Must mean it worked. I've gotten some nice tips in the last couple days. I figure I earned it, so I just won't mention it to Hawk. There's a pair of shoes I've had my eye on in one of the stores here. I could probably afford to get you a pair, too," she told Scarlett.

She wiggled her toes and rotated her ankles. "I am so not used to wearing these types of shoes anymore!" She looked at Scarlett. "So, how did YOU know? I know they had no clue," she chuckled, motioning towards the others. "No offense, guys. You weren't supposed to," she shrugged in response to Flint's glare.

Scarlett smiled. "I didn't, at first, but figured you were a little too insistent for a waitress. There are enough people in here that if someone said no, you wouldn't insist, and just move on."

"I like the snake with a twist. I'll have to remember that one."

Flint found his voice. "Let's get down to business. What have you found out?"

Lady Jaye swiveled to face him, tucking her bare legs under her. He tried to keep his eyes focused on her face.

She was all business. "It's like I was telling Scarlett before. Both the twins are here with the Baroness. Hence, the double and eastern european – trust me, they're not drinks I know of," she shrugged. "I had Hawk send you to this particular casino because it's the only one they haven't been to that's owned by…well, let's just say someone the CIA keeps tabs on."

She turned to the rest of the group. "These waitressing gigs are the same everywhere, and they often have you working at several different casinos. I've been able to observe, but so far, haven't been able to get too much information. What I have, I need to share with you, but not here. I've made some contacts while I've been here who have been a big help as well."

She grimaced as she hopped down to put her boots back on, making sure she was facing the group as she was doing it. No point in getting the boys too wired, she thought with a mental grin. Poor Flint looked like he was about to have a heart attack! She tucked her weapons back in as well.

"So," she began, straightening, picking up her tray from the corner of the room, "here are your rooms." She pulled two key cards out of her shirt and handed one to Flint and the other to Scarlett. "Girls in one room, guys in the other. The number's on the card," she explained. "I have to get back to work, but as soon as my shift is over, I'll join you."

She quietly slipped out the door, leaving the others standing there, staring at the closed door.

Scarlett chuckled at the guys' still stunned expression. "She's good, you gotta admit – real good," she commented. Shaking her head, she snapped her fingers at the guys. "Time to go!"

"Did you notice she got taller when she put her boots on?" Gung Ho muttered to Roadblock. "Still, nice legs."

Scarlett sighed, throwing over her shoulder, "Lifts. She was wearing lifts. Let's get to our rooms. I think you guys are due for some cold showers."

Somehow, she knew Lady Jaye was getting a good chuckle over this. She'd have a talk with her later about all this, she determined. She needed the guys focused on this one, not with them mentally undressing her!


	4. Chapter 4

"I couldn't help it," she confessed to Scarlett later in their room. "You have to admit, it was funny. Flint thinks he is so on top of things, so when he didn't recognize me, I figured it would be fun to play around for a bit. I could've been MUCH worse!" she laughed.

Scarlett threw a pillow at her, which she easily ducked. "Yeah, but I have to work with these guys. WE have to work with these guys! How am I going to get their attention off of you and back on the mission?"

Lady Jaye laughed again. "Trust me, once they see just me, they'll forget all about it." She had already changed into jeans and a t-shirt, wiping away all the makeup, tucking the wig and outfit away for later. "You swept the room for bugs? I've already scrambled the signal from the video cameras."

Scarlett nodded. "Yeah. Ok, then, let's call them in. I sent them off with orders to take cold showers after your performance earlier!"

"Good. I have a few things to share with you that I couldn't downstairs. It was secure, but if someone had noticed the repeated sequence, they would've come to investigate," she sighed. "I swear, these casinos invest in more covert equipment than the CIA! It's a good thing I brought a few toys with me!"

Scarlett paused. "Yeah. I'm curious about that. I haven't seen some of the equipment before that you're carrying. It's not army-issued nor CIA," she said pointedly.

Lady Jaye bit her lip, a sign that, if Scarlett knew her better, would read as nerves. "Oh, it's MI-6 issued," she lied, not wanting to give away her connection to MARS. Destro had already given the company a bad name, even if he had been removed from active leadership by the family. "You probably have similar items."

There was a knock at the door, and Scarlett smiled. "Figured Flint wouldn't let them lie around too long." She peeked first before opening the door and ushering in the three men.

Flint was relieved to see a normal looking Lady Jaye sitting on the sofa in the suite. He hadn't been sure how to handle the sexpot they had met earlier. Gung Ho and Roadblock merely grinned at her, sitting on either side of her on the sofa. She was back to being their buddy and teammate.

"Nice digs you got us," Gung Ho said gratefully. "I think I could get into this covert business!"

She smiled at him, nodding at Flint as he sat down in a chair across from her. Scarlett chose to stand, leaning her hip against Flint's chair.

Lady Jaye immediately launched into what she had observed and her theories on the situation.

"Cobra is hurting for money. I think Scarlett turned that up earlier in the year, and now they're trying to get the Vegas bosses to buy into their corporation – yes, I meant corporation," she repeated at their surprised looks. "Apparently, these twins are business lawyers, and have started a company called "Extensive Enterprises," which is supposed to be an investment firm. I'm guessing they're lacking investors, so they're trying to make deals. Either that," she shrugged, "or they're trying to learn the gambling game themselves and open their own casino."

They thought on that for a minute.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Roadblock finally said. "I can see the advantages, based on some of the crazy schemes the Commander has pulled them into, in the past. They could brainwash people in their casinos – hell, look at how much money people are dropping in the one we're in now! It was like they were zoned out and just kept putting their card in the ATMs to get more money."

Lady Jaye nodded. "It's not just this one. Granted, I know it's a business, but I can see the addictive side to it. The hum of the machines, winning money just when you are about to give up, so you play a couple more times, the free food and drink, not to mention the high roller rooms…..which, by the way, we're both staying in ones now," she grinned. "I changed your profile, based on your IDs you registered with, and you have a long history of dropping a lot of money at this chain of casinos. Food and drink are also comp'ed, so make sure you order plenty while we're here," she encouraged.

"Yeah, I could **really** get used to this covert stuff," Gung Ho grinned, putting his arms behind his head as he leaned against the back of the sofa.

Flint frowned. "How did you manage to do all this in the short time you've been here? You've established a waitressing job, hacked into their computers, scrambled feed….no offense, but it's a bit suspicious."

Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Maybe I'm just good at what I do," Lady Jaye replied, her tone light, but with an undercurrent of hostility. "By the way, you're welcome."

There was a knock at the door and Lady Jaye motioned to the others to stay seated. She walked over to the door, peeked out, and then opened the door wide to accommodate the table that was being pushed in, loaded with food and drinks.

She tipped the guy with money she pulled from her jeans pocket, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

"I thought I'd take the liberty of ordering dinner," she told them. "Figured we had a lot to talk about, but go ahead and eat first. This place is known for their cuisine."

She headed in the opposite direction of the food, needing some air. Imagine that imbecile Flint insinuating that she couldn't be trusted, after all the groundwork she had laid for the team! Obviously he thought what she had done was easy, not knowing what she had gone through to get to this point in the investigation. They'd been teamed up on a mission before, but he obviously still didn't trust her. Let him choke on a chicken bone! she thought snidely.

"Aren't you joining us?" asked Scarlett, coming up behind her where she was standing on the balcony overlooking the strip.

"I've already eaten," she lied, hating the fact that it was the second time she had done that to her new friend. "I just need to get out for awhile. I have a contact to meet. I'll be back." At Scarlett's concerned look, she smiled. "Don't worry, they won't recognize me, even if I ran straight smack into them! Enjoy the food. I know we don't often get assignments with all the perks."

"Don't mind Flint," Scarlett said in an apologetic tone. "He's not used to these kinds of missions. He just doesn't understand…."

Lady Jaye held up her hand. "You're a good friend, but please don't make excuses for him. If he wants to act like an ass, he will, and there's nothing you can do about it. I certainly didn't hear him complaining before when he was looking down my shirt!" she huffed, eyes narrowed.

She went to her room, threw on a jacket and slid out the front door.


	5. Chapter 5

"Seriously, Flint, what is your problem?" Scarlett snapped, returning to the living room. "I thought you had worked with her before!"

Roadblock, ever the peacemaker, stood between the two. "We don't need to fight. We've got Cobra to expend that energy on."

Scarlett let out a long breath. "Look," she said, addressing Flint again, "Enough with the accusations. Things work differently in the intelligence community. She's good. I've checked her out. **Hawk trusts her**," she emphasized. "Whatever problem you have with her, you two need to work it out."

Flint stayed silent. Rolling her eyes again, Scarlett helped herself to some of the chocolate cake that was on the cart.

"Where did she go?" Flint asked quietly after she had taken a couple of bites. He had sisters – he knew what chocolate did to calm their nerves. He wasn't a complete idiot.

"To meet a contact, she said," Scarlett told him after her last bite. "She'll be back and hopefully, you'll have lost your trust issues with her."

Lady Jaye had been telling the truth. Currently, she was sipping a beer, talking in low tones with her contact. She was surprised by his latest bit of information, but knew he was a reliable source. Her team was not going to like this, she thought with a mental sigh. Not to mention, they had wasted their time. While she knew why Hawk had sent a backup team for her, she was used to working on her own. They might as well enjoy the room for another night or two, while she confirmed this latest information.

She frowned, paying the bar tab and leaving. She'd have to figure out a way to keep them occupied while they were here. She couldn't have them compromising her cover, nor running into the Baroness, who would probably recognize members of the team. If what she was told was true, Cobra may already be winging their way to the east coast.

Technically, Flint was the leader of this mission, but she'd rather use Scarlett as her sounding board. There was more of a comfort level between the two of them. Flint only served to test her temper, she sighed aloud. She wondered how the arrogant man had gotten so far in an army where that trait was often drummed out of the men and women. Determined not to let him rattle her again, she walked on towards her casino, oblivious to the bright lights of the strip, lost in her own dark thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

The walk to meet her contact had done a lot to dissolve the anger Lady Jaye had towards Flint's insecurities, but she found it building again as she made her way back to the suite.

You've had to deal with a lot of idiots in your line of work before, she told herself, just let it go. She was sure, if it was up to him, they wouldn't work any other assignments together, so she just had to get through this one. She also really liked and admired her other team members, and she wouldn't want to make them uncomfortable with the obvious tension between herself and Flint.

Shaking it off in the elevator ride up to her floor, she used the key card to enter the room. Even though she had left over an hour ago, not much had changed, other than the large amount of food she had ordered was now almost gone. The plasma TV was switched on and the guys were watching football. Scarlett was nowhere in sight.

Shrugging out of her jacket, she was about to ask where Scarlett was when the woman appeared.

"Find out anything?" Scarlett asked, her arms crossed.

"Yeah. That casino scam we laughed about? Not so funny anymore," she told her in a low voice. "I asked one of my more reliable contacts and he confirmed it."

"Shit. Now what?" Scarlett sighed. She signaled to the guys, who turned off the TV and looked up at the two women expectantly.

Lady Jaye avoided looking directly at Flint, instead focusing on the other Joes in the room. "According to my source, the idea of Cobra running a casino? A definite reality. They're gathering investors in Vegas, in the guise of Extensive Enterprises, but want to set up in Atlantic City, in New Jersey."

"Ocean access," Flint observed grimly. "Vegas is too land locked."

Lady Jaye nodded. "That's what I figured. They're apparently wrapping up their business here, and moving on to Jersey." She turned to Scarlett. "Not sure if we can look to see what land they might have purchased, obviously under a dummy corporation, unless they're bold enough to use Extensive Enterprises since they don't think we know about it." She shrugged. "Then we can go from there. My guess is they'll buy a bankrupt casino and move in."

"Or they could muscle out an existing one," speculated Gung Ho. "Use the Dreadnoks to intimidate the patrons. Get it basically for free."

"We need to report to Hawk, see if he wants us to pursue it, or return to base and regroup," Flint announced.

"While this is a pretty reliable source, I'd like to check up on the information. I have a few ideas on how, and what you can do to help," Lady Jaye told them.

Scarlett glanced at her watch. "Let's talk to him tonight and see what he thinks. We wouldn't want these rooms Jaye got for us to go to waste," she said, smiling at her friend.

The others agreed. Lady Jaye handed Flint a cell phone. "It's secure," she told him. "There's a code for Hawk I can type in, and he'll get it on his phone. It's how he and I have kept in touch, by text messaging."

Flint cleared his throat, then nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Why don't you do it," he told her gruffly, handing it back to her. "Then we can talk afterwards."

Scarlett smiled, nodding, then excused herself, giving the other two a look that made them mumble about retiring for the night, and left.

Lady Jaye and Flint were left alone in the room.

"Here, let me show you how it works," Lady Jaye said after a moment, sitting on the couch. She figured if she were to build his trust in her, she would have to go the extra mile. It wouldn't be good if one of her new teammates would take an intense dislike to her. Well, at least she was trying to be positive, she thought. If he could wave the white flag, so could she, figuratively speaking.

He sat down next to her, careful not to get too close.

She ignored his body language and leaned over, showing him the code and how to send the message. It was a few moments before there was a reply from Hawk.

"These are still a prototype," she explained, when he asked about it. "Not widely available yet. I have some connections at the manufacturer, so I'm able to get these things a little early."

"Which manufacturer?" he asked, curious, examining the cell phone, which also served as a bug detector and scrambler, among its other uses.

She coughed, uncomfortable. "I'd rather not say," she told him, knowing she probably just set back everything she tried to accomplish at the moment.

He surprised her by not pursuing it or giving her a suspicious look.

"Well," she told him, getting up, palming the phone, "I guess I'll see you in the morning. Hawk seemed to like the idea of us sticking around for a few more days, to double check my source's info. I'll let Scarlett know if you'll tell the guys."

"Wait," he told her, placing a hand on her arm.

She sat back down, not sure what to expect. She wished Scarlett hadn't gone to bed yet. She felt strangely uncomfortable with this man. In her line of work, she needed to feel comfortable with practically everyone.

"Listen," he began, running a hand through his hair, "I owe you an apology. We didn't quite get off on the right foot on this mission and, well….." He paused, not sure how to say it.

She gave him a polite smile. "It's okay. I understand your feelings were based on the team's safety. Don't worry about it."

He closed his eyes, realizing his words weren't coming out right. "No, it's not okay. You're a member of the team, and if Hawk trusted you enough to invite you to join GI Joe, I shouldn't question that."

She regarded him silently for a moment. When she next spoke, he was shocked at the words that came out of her mouth.

"You should always go with your gut. Just because someone's on your team, doesn't mean they won't betray you at one time or another. Don't go into things blind. It'll get you killed every time."

He wondered what the hell she had been through that made her believe that!

She gave him a polite smile. "Sorry, I'm exhausted. I'm sure you can find your way out."

She gave a nod, then turned and walked into one of the bedrooms, pushing the door firmly shut behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

He couldn't get her out of his mind. Granted, the outfit she had worn as the waitress had been sexy as hell. He had been amazed at the transformation from the short brown haired baggy look to voluptuous woman with legs that went on for miles. The term sexpot lingered in his mind again. He wondered if the belly ring was permanent, or just part of her cover.

Still, he found he preferred the relaxed, natural look of her he had seen tonight. Well, minus the temper. Still, when she was angry, those green eyes flashed and he had to admit, he enjoyed watching the passion behind it. Just once, though, he'd love that thousand watt smile he'd glimpsed before to focus on him instead of just on the others. With him, she never seemed to have more than a polite smile or nod of the head.

He didn't know why he was so obsessed with her. She wasn't even his type! He liked long hair on a woman, legs that went on for miles, as well as a cultured attitude. A woman he could have intelligent conversations with, but have a good time in bed with as well! He was more attracted to types like Scarlett, for god sakes! Not that he would touch Scarlett with a ten-foot pole. Granted, he had tried flirting with her when he had first joined GI Joe, but she had quickly set him straight. Well, that and her ninja boyfriend had. How was he to know? he chuckled, thinking back on it.

No, Lady Jaye was definitely not his type…so why was he still thinking about her? Punching his pillow, he rolled over, determined to get her out of his mind. He had other things to worry about than some woman with a cute, upturned nose with just a hint of freckles on it. He wondered if the passion he'd glimpsed with her temper would transfer over to the bedroom…..Cursing, he punched the pillow again and started reciting Keats that he had memorized from his collegiate days, until his tired mind would finally let him drift off to sleep.

_Next Door…_

**What** had possessed her to say that to him? She knew what a straight-laced individual he was. To imply he had to be suspicious of everyone….what had she been thinking? Just because her past was full of deceit and lies didn't mean she had to poison his mind against his own teammates. Geeze, no wonder he was so suspicious of her! She wasn't doing her best to reassure him that she was on his side. Of course, her own secrets that she had hidden from all the Joes but Hawk didn't help, either.

She had thought showing him her new device, and how to work it, would help, but of course, he had to ask where she had gotten it from. She was sure if she had told him MARS, he would immediately peg her for a Cobra spy. Damn Destro for bringing her family's business into the terrorist world! Granted, her cousins had taken care of it once they learned of it, but it didn't stop her uncle from using the resources he had available through MARS. Her family had a lot of rebuilding and networking to repair their reputation.

Well, at least he didn't try to hit on her, she reasoned. Every other assignment she had, some jackass would think she was some sort of challenge. Sure, she liked to have a good time now and then, but she had her limits. She had spent too long in her male cousins' company growing up, and was able to hold her own, whether it was drinking or brawling. Most of these "admirers" came to realize that pretty quickly and backed off. She had learned long ago to keep men like that at a distance.

She guessed some saw her as possessing a tough exterior shell, and it was their job to romance her out of it. Bullshit. The shell had grown from years of betrayal and manipulation, and she was thankful of her acting ability that usually hid the hurt little girl that she was sure still existed somewhere inside her. Not that her childhood hadn't been happy….well, when she had been with her Dad, in Scotland, she had been in heaven. Her mother was a completely different universe.

She punched her pillow, angry at where her train of thought had drifted to. She didn't want to think of her mother, of her rebellion to being the perfect society daughter, of explosions, betrayal, and heartache.

She got up and padded over to the window, looking out beyond the curtains. _The city that never sleeps. _Or was that New York? Either way, it didn't look like either shut down at any time of night. She sighed, leaning her forehead against the cool glass.

It would be another sleepless night. She knew the nightmare would come, based on her train of thought, and rather than deal with it, she'd rather just be tired tomorrow. Her shift wouldn't start until early evening. She would help Scarlett research land grants in Atlantic City on the laptop the redhead had brought, and in a few days time, if it was even that long, they'd be heading in that direction. She was pretty sure Hawk would keep the same team. Then again, she shrugged, maybe not. Who was she to predict what her CO would do?

Sighing, she got dressed and, figuring she **was** in a casino after all, she'd head downstairs to the floor. It would be a hell lot more interesting than seeing what was on TV.

She moved silently through the suite, careful not to wake Scarlett. She left a quick note, should her teammate wake, and made sure to put a watch on. Casinos were notorious for not having clocks so that people would lose track of time and let their money keep pouring out of their wallets.

Wandering around the casino floor, she smiled when she found the animated slot machine that showed an ancient castle on its screen. Granted, it was Irish, not Scottish, but she figured it was close enough. She trailed her finger along the top, suddenly feeling homesick. Slipping her card into the slot, she watched the images scroll by. She began to get into the rhythm of the game, seeming to keep to an equal amount of winning and losing.

She managed to break even and removed her card, turning to get up when she suddenly saw him behind her.

"I didn't really peg you for a gambler," he said with a friendly smile.

She regarded Flint silently. "Couldn't sleep," she finally said in way of explanation. "Figured while we were here, I'd try my luck." Damn. Of all the people to run into.

He hadn't noticed the lilt in her voice before, her English accented with….he wasn't sure what culture. It wasn't British. He glanced at the game she had been playing. Irish? He was curious and made a mental note to check her file when they returned to base, to find out. He wouldn't mind learning more about her, now that she was officially a member of GI Joe.

"So, why are you here?" she asked him.

He smiled sheepishly. "Same thing – couldn't sleep." He held his card up between his fingers. "Was thinking along the same lines."

"I never pegged you as a gambler," she repeated his words, smiling. She figured he'd be too uptight for that, but didn't voice that thought. "Personally, I like the old one armed bandits, but this one caught my eye," she told him. "Unless you're more of a Blackjack guy."

"I could go for Blackjack," he told her, wondering if she was as lucky with that as she was with slots. He had been watching her for some time, and was amazed she had ended up even. He had known friends and family that had literally poured hundreds of dollars into the machines with visits to Vegas and Reno, all to come home with nothing but a good story.

She led the way to the tables, and they settled into adjoining seats. After a few rounds, she had to admit, he wasn't bad company. The few jokes and comments he made were actually funny and had a way of making her feel more relaxed. She was actually beginning to enjoy herself in his company, she realized.

His hand brushed hers as he moved his chips later at the roulette table, and she was surprised at the little jolt she felt. Mentally, she shook her head. Allie, Allie, she admonished herself. Haven't you learned not to date your coworkers? She regarded him through lowered lashes, noticing he had a peculiar expression on his face. This guy was **so** not her type, anyway!

Brushing her hand had been accidental, but he found he wanted to do it again. The little jolt he felt had been a surprise, but a pleasant one. She intrigued him, with her cryptic messages of betrayal, her insight, and her secrets. He felt she was like a book, with each page a different story that he wanted to explore.

She glanced at her watch, breaking his spell. "The others will be getting up soon," she told him, gathering up her chips. The dealer credited them to her card, doing the same for Flint's, and she headed in the direction of the elevators.

"Don't you want to cash in?" he asked her.

She smiled, almost as if he were a little dense, he thought.

"Nah. I like to keep the balance on there. Keeps me humble," she chuckled, "and this particular place has chains all over the world. I'll wait if you want to do so. I doubt you get to Vegas much."

He frowned. "What makes you think that?"

She shrugged. "Call it a guess. I can't see you throwing away your money. You don't seem the type."

He had to admit, she was right. It irked him that she judged him so easily, though.

He led the way to the elevators, ignoring her smirk as she followed him.


	8. Chapter 8

Lady Jaye stepped back, assessing each of the guys with a practiced eye. She looked over to Scarlett and nodded. "Let me talk to the shops below, get some appropriate outfits, and we should be ready to roll."

The men looked confused. "What's wrong with what we're wearing?" asked Gung Ho, a little insulted.

She tried not to sigh, she really did. "Nothing's wrong with what YOU are wearing," she said, glancing at the jeans and t-shirts, "but it doesn't quite portray the image we'll be playing today. Trust me," she said, giving them a confident smile. "Scarlett and I will be right back. Sit tight and enjoy the pay-per-view sports. It's complimentary."

Scarlett chuckled as they shut the door behind them. "That was pretty smooth."

Lady Jaye returned her smile. "My cousins were pretty much like my brothers. You learn to work the system."

They reached the hotel shops below and Jaye told Scarlett what to look for. It wasn't long before they had three outfits selected. She was pleased that they had all the sizes they were looking for in one stop, being that they were pressed for time. After selecting a dress for Scarlett, they headed back up to the room with their purchases.

Scarlett had to admit – Lady Jaye definitely had an eye for clothes and fashion. Three very different men looked back at her once they were dressed.

Lady Jaye chuckled at her reaction. "Clothes make the man," she quipped. "Or in this case, turns them into something completely different." She reached up and ruffled Flint's hair. "There. That tops it," she said with an innocent smile in response to his glare.

She and Scarlett then went to get ready. She had blessedly convinced Scarlett to, temporarily, dye her hair with a special spray she had. She was too well known to Cobra, and her hair would have been a definite "red flag." So, she became a blonde.

"This stuff is amazing," Scarlett said, squinting in the mirror at herself. "I almost don't recognize me! You're sure it'll wash out, right?"

"Promise. You'll be back to your old self after your next shower. Just use the shampoo I showed you... Wait till the guys get a load of you!"

Scarlett laughed, striking a pose, her red dress swirling around her knees. "I have to admit, I like it! I definitely wouldn't have picked this out for myself!"

"We'll hit Fifth Avenue sometime and I'll show you outfits you've never dreamed yourself in before!" Lady Jaye grinned. "I'm a definite seasoned pro."

She herself had donned a different type of outfit, more for the married woman she would portray, with fitted jacket that she wore unbuttoned, complete with mini skirt and heels. Her creamy blouse was almost see-through, with a low v-neck. It had expensive designer written all over it. She had added red highlights to her brown hair, as well as bronzer to make her skin tone darker than its usual fair color.

The guys whistled their reaction at the two, staring open-mouthed at Scarlett's blonde hair.

"Okay, here's how it is," Lady Jaye began, once she had their attention back. "Gung Ho and I will play the French investment couple – an easy target for Cobra, I'm sure." She admired the way her partner's crimson silk shirt fit him, along with his cream colored slacks. She wouldn't have thought he would have looked as comfortable as he did in such a change from his normal outfit, but he did. She patted his arm, smiling up at him.

She turned her attention to the other three. "Scarlett, the party girl ready to blow Daddy's money, with her two friends in tow." She studied the three, tilting her head. "Or brother and best friend. I'll let you decide that. This would also be a target Cobra is looking for. Being slightly tipsy, I'm sure they'll convince you to keep dropping money at the bar as well as the tables. Hopefully, they'll take you aside to draw you into a bigger game. Your friends," she glanced at Flint and Roadblock, "should attempt to talk you out of it, but you're headstrong and make your own decisions. This way, if things get too serious, it won't look unusual for them to pull you out," she explained.

Flint sighed. "Why do I feel like we're caught in a bad movie script?"

Lady Jaye flicked a glance at him. Granted, she thought he looked pretty good in his preppy boy clothes, especially with his slightly rumpled hair…but he was still annoying.

"What you're doing **IS** like playing out a script," she explained, trying to keep her patience. Didn't he realize this was her specialty? He'd do well to listen to her, not question everything she said! "Only thing is, we don't know the ending, so unless you want it to become a tragedy, why don't you keep an open mind about it and play your role," she answered coldly, her eyes narrowed.

Roadblock nudged Flint with his arm, and Flint closed his mouth to the retort he was about to blast back at her. Even though he was technically in charge of the mission, he had bowed to Lady Jaye's expertise and let her lead the group. She probably knew what she was talking about. He just didn't have to like being told who to be and how to act. Why couldn't he just be himself? he grumbled soundlessly.

Lady Jaye handed them tickets. "We'll meet at the concert that's taking place later at a nearby casino. These include backstage passes, so make sure you don't lose them - I had to call in a few favors to get them so quickly, so they won't be easy to replace. It'll be a natural setting for all of us to have a "chance" encounter. If your team is not there, we'll know something is up."

They all nodded, understanding. Roadblock's eyes bulged when he read the name of the band on the ticket. He gave a low whistle. "I overheard someone saying this group has been sold out for weeks! That must be some favor!"

She gave a quick smile in his direction before continuing.

Next, she handed each of them a cell phone. "Make sure if you text each other, you keep it in code. They're not encrypted, so be careful. It'll look more natural if we use them instead of traditional comm. units," she explained. Last, she handed Scarlett a credit card and another one to Gung Ho. "This should give you enough cash to throw around at the casino. Just try not to blow it all on the slots," she teased, going for a lighter tone. She just hoped they didn't ask where the money had come from.

Standing back, she smiled, pleased with the image they projected. "Good luck," she wished the other three, tucking her hand into Gung Ho's arm. "We'll see you at the concert!"

The plan was for the two of them to leave first, with the others arriving at the casino later.

Gung Ho was chuckling as they waited for the elevator. "I don't know how you do it, or what connections you have…but I am totally into this thing!" he told her, grinning. "Between the new threads, this concert, the company," he added flirtatiously, "it's turning out to be a pretty cool time!"

She had chosen Gung Ho to be her partner partly because of his attitude. She also knew he would have what it took to pull off their backstory – that of a French millionaire and his young, bored wife.

That reminded her. She pulled the rings out of her pockets. "Here you go, husband," she teased.

He slipped it on, then glanced as she placed several rings on her fingers. "Wow, did I get you that rock, or did you just use my money to?" he joked, noticing the huge diamond she put on her finger.

"Don't worry, it's fake….close enough that only a professional jeweler might notice, but I doubt Cobra has one of those on their payroll," she told him in a low voice.

"Hmm…so I'm rich AND cheap," Gung Ho chuckled again. "Good to know."

They entered the elevator, his arm around her, ready to play their part.


	9. Chapter 9

Flint couldn't get over Scarlett as a blonde.

"Give it up, beret boy," she told him when he teased her. "Still not interested!"

Roadblock chuckled at that one. "Give the boy credit for trying," he told her, giving his friend a punch in his arm. "He has to get his mind off Lady Jaye's legs."

Scarlett laughed at that. "Was that what he was looking at? I thought his focus was above the waist line!"

"Knock it off," Flint growled, irritated that they were right. While he might profess to prefer long-legged blondes like Scarlett right now, he couldn't get his mind off a certain brown-haired vixen. He had actually felt a stab of irritation when she announced she and Gung Ho would be pairing up, and when she had rubbed his arm, he had felt mad enough to spit nails. Definitely unprofessional. He needed to get her out of his system…by any means possible! If he had to seduce her to do so, then so be it. He could turn on the charm - it had never failed before. Well, yeah, with Scarlett, he admitted, but she also had a boyfriend at the time. No, if he really wanted Lady Jaye….and she seemed like she knew how to have a good time…he could have her. Not a problem.

"Earth to Flint! You ready to take off?" Roadblock snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face. Scarlett just rolled her eyes.

"Come on spoilsports….I'm ready to play the pampered brat!" Scarlett said with a toss of her now-blonde hair.

_Meanwhile…._

As Lady Jaye had expected, the French couple was invited to a private game. She had played the dutiful wife, sticking by her husband as he dropped money here and there at the tables…..his luck never quite good, but never quite bad, either. He had even given his wife a few chips to play with now and then, when his luck ran well. He had flashed enough cash at the casino that it had gotten someone's attention.

Clinging on to his arm, making sure to flash the huge diamond on her finger, she murmured to her "husband" in French, asking him if he was sure he wanted to do this.

"Woman," he had growled in response, "I will do what pleases me!"

She had to admit – he was really getting into the part! She looked properly chastised and tucked her hand in his, following their escort to the private game.

She wasn't surprised to find one of the Crimson Guard brothers, as well as the Baroness, sitting in on the game. She had squeezed Gung Ho's arm so he wouldn't say anything, but she didn't need to bother. He was doing so well, she thought, amused, he almost doesn't need me!

The Frenchman was welcomed and dealt into the game, while his wife was invited to have a seat along the edge of the wall in some very comfortable-looking chairs. With a bored look, she crossed her legs and pulled out her cell phone to presumably text some friends…just something to pass the time. She caught the Cobra agent glancing in her direction, taking in her outfit, and she tried not to smirk. Things were working according to plan. She texted her "friends" to fill them in on the news.

_Elsewhere in the casino….._

"Woo hoo! I got it again, boys!" Scarlett announced a little too loudly, her words slightly slurring.

They all high-fived and went back to their games.

"I'm hot!" announced Scarlett. "Let's hit the tables!"

She tossed her hair, knowing she was being watched. She just hoped Lady Jaye was right, and she would be approached soon. She was getting bored with the spoiled southern girl routine. Let Lady Jaye have the covert stuff – she'd take her intelligence job anytime. Get what you need and get out, that was what she liked. She shrugged. Guess that's what made GI Joe so good – everyone had their specialties.

She led her crew to the tables, which now included several other guys who had been hitting on her (although Flint had taken care of a few of the more obnoxious ones), and began to throw money around. That ought to get their attention, she thought smugly.

Soon enough, she was approached about joining a "private game" that was already in session, but they'd make an exception for her.

One of her friends leaned forward, to try to talk her out of it, but she pushed him away. "I'm hot! It would be sooo cool to join in! I hear those games can go into the millions!" she said in a not-too quiet whisper. "That would show Daddy I can do something with his money besides spend it!"

Her friends exchanged glances and tried one more time to convince her not to join, but she pushed them away. "You're either for me, or against me!" she announced. She turned to the waiting messenger. "They can come too, right? They're my good luck charms!"

The messenger, a young boy, barely legal, cleared his throat nervously. "I'm not sure. Exceptions can be made, though. We can ask when we get there."

He led them to what looked to be a wall, until the door opened up. Surprisingly, the room was oval-shaped, and several people were already sitting at the tables. They looked up as Scarlett and her two friends entered.

Flint was disappointed not to see Lady Jaye and Gung Ho there, but guessed maybe they were in another room. A text had come through not long ago from her, saying that they were in.

The boys were dealt in along with Scarlett after she produced enough cash to cover their costs of joining the game. They settled back to play.


	10. Chapter 10

"How much longer, love?" murmured Lady Jaye to her "husband," rubbing his shoulders, after they had been in the room for over an hour. They had decided to keep speaking French and "broken" English, when needed, to keep their cover.

"Would you rather I escort you to one of the VIP lounges?" the Cobra brother asked her in perfect French, looking up from his cards. Lady Jaye hid her surprise. Her sources hadn't mentioned that he spoke French. In fact, not much was known about the two brothers.

Gung Ho covered his "wife's" hand on his shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "Love, would you rather go with this man, or stay here…with me." There was no mistaking his possessive tone, and the Cobra agent backed off. Lady Jaye squeezed Gung Ho's hand gratefully. While it might have been worthwhile to find out more about the man, that was not their goal, and her gut was telling her to not go anywhere alone with him.

One by one, the other players dropped out until there were only three left besides the Baroness. Lady Jaye had returned to her seat after helping herself to a bottle of water from the small bar in the corner.

"Gentlemen, I believe we have come to an impasse," the Baroness began after several more rounds. "Shall we raise the stakes?"

She rose, walking over to a corner where her partner waited, having been out of the game himself for several hands. "My associate and I have a wonderful investment opportunity we'd like to talk to you about. With your support, you could be a member of a club that only the most exclusive set belongs to."

She produced a poster with a picture of a casino on it. "Extensive Enterprises will be unveiling a new casino in Atlantic City in less than a month's time. We would like to invite you to join us for the grand opening!"

At this point, the other agent passed out business cards to each of the remaining players. "Since you have chosen to join us in this game tonight, we'd like to invite you to stay, free of charge, in one of our high roller suites. All we ask in return is your honest opinion of our services," he told them in a smooth voice. He paused when he reached Lady Jaye, holding out the card for her to take. He held on to it a moment longer than necessary, than gave her a slow wink when their fingers touched. She fought not to show her revulsion. Instead, she masked her face with indifference.

The two continued, extolling the virtues and vices of their new place. Both Gung Ho and Lady Jaye couldn't see any foul play involved. In fact, she felt like she was sitting in one of those "free vacations" that were actually just sales pitches for a timeshare!

Glancing at her watch, she slowly walked up to her husband, murmuring in his ear. He nodded, glancing at his watch.

"Unfortunately, my wife and I have a previous engagement," he told the group in broken English. "We are sorry, but we must leave now."

"You will consider our offer?" the Baroness asked, eyebrow raised.

"But of course!" Lady Jaye answered in heavily accented English. "It sounds lovely."

A cashier came forward and scanned Gung Ho's casino card, giving a nod at the Baroness when finished. Lady Jaye had to wonder exactly what that meant. When they had signed up for the card, they had used their false identity, and she wondered if they were being "tracked" by it.

Outside the room, Gung Ho let out a long breath. "Was it just me, or did we just sit through a sales pitch?" he asked her in a low voice, echoing her earlier thoughts.

She nodded. "We'd better head across the way for the concert. We'll compare notes later."

When they arrived, the concert had already started, but by waving their VIP passes, they were able to bypass security and go directly backstage. Keeping an eye out for their teammates, they wandered the surprisingly expansive area, finally settling in a quiet, unoccupied room with a large screen TV showing the action onstage.

Gung Ho chuckled. "Kind of sad that we're here, but watching it on TV!" he told her in French.

She smiled. She wouldn't correct him for now, just in case they needed to keep their cover, to be sure no interested eyes were watching. She already had a plan in mind on how they would "casually" strike up a conversation with their teammates, find some common ground, and leave together.

She grabbed them two water bottles from the table and sat down beside him on the couch. He slung an arm around her, and they spoke in low voices about their "reaction" to the sales pitch for the casino. Lady Jaye took out her card and examined it closely. It seemed to be nothing more than cardstock – no tracking or listening devices attached to it.

"I do believe they were serious!" she chuckled. "Wonder if we'll be able to attend."

Gung Ho shrugged, watching the band do another encore.

"Shouldn't they be here by now?" he asked her, worried. Several minutes later, they had their answer.

"You two look cozy," the long-legged blonde commented as she flounced into the room. "Are these for us?" she asked, indicating the water bottles. Her two friends followed, their eyes flicking to the couple on the sofa before they caught the bottles their friend tossed to them.

The blonde glanced to the screen. "So, does this mean we get to hang with them soon?"

Lady Jaye gave her an indulgent smile. "Perhaps," she answered with a shrug. "Depends on what they're looking to do. Maybe buy into a casino," she said, glancing at her "husband" with a smile.

"Funny thing you should mention that. We just overheard a sales pitch for that, too," said the blonde, tossing her hair back. "Didn't we boys?"

They nodded, silent. Flint looked bored. Jaye almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

They watched on the screen as the band finally left the stage.

"Things went okay?" Jaye asked, no trace of the accent left in her voice.

Scarlett nodded. "Sounds like we heard the same story. You planning a trip to Atlantic City?"

Jaye smiled. "We'll see," she said.

"Hmm. Nice rock," Scarlett commented, noticing the rings on Jaye's fingers as she got up to pace the room. "Looks like you cleaned up."

"Just something her generous husband gave her," Gung Ho commented with a chuckle. "Don't worry – he's cheap. It's a fake."

"Al!" cried a female voice from the doorway, and Lady Jaye found herself warmly embraced by the lead singer. "I wondered if we'd see you here! Carl told me you had called him."

"It's been a while," Lady Jaye smiled, knowing the rest of her party probably had their mouths hanging open. She felt an explanation was due, but didn't get to it because she was swept up in the air in a bear-like hug.

"Alison!" The deep voice of the drummer vibrated through her. "It's been too long!" He let her down long enough so that he could give her a huge smacking kiss on the lips. "Miss me? Finally decided to run away together?"

"Stop!" she giggled. "You're probably scaring the hell out of my friends!"

He let her go, and she saw that all four Joes were staring at them, stunned, not sure what to do. She gave a sheepish smile and introduced the band members, even though their fame spoke for themselves.

"We knew each other back in college," she explained, as the female lead stood next to her, arm around her waist.

"You forgot to mention we've performed together, too!" Carl, the drummer, reminded her. "You should hear her voice! Wasn't it…"

"Oh, that's ancient history," Jaye interrupted, blushing. "Let's not bore them with it."

"I was happy to hear your voice earlier," Carl admitted with a smile. "You still playing the spy game, then?"

Lady Jaye rolled her eyes. "I don't work for the Brits anymore, no," she said, keeping her current association quiet. "My friends and I were in Vegas, and I saw you were doing a few shows here, so…" she shrugged. "Figured I'd impress them with my connections," she laughed.

Gwyn, the lead singer, took Lady Jaye aside and spoke to her in low tones. Flint watched the two closely. It seemed his new teammate had an infinite number of resources and contacts. He wasn't sure what to think of it.

"So, did they put any pressure on you to perform for the grand opening?" Lady Jaye asked Gwyn, frowning.

Gwyn wrinkled her brow. "I wouldn't really say that, but they made it almost too good to pass up. I mean, the money they offered was good, but the perks were even better, and we're starting our tour in Jersey, so it worked out in our schedule…..it was like they had already talked to our manager and knew our schedule. Weird, I guess, but not too unusual. Why the interest in this new startup?"

Gwyn paused and studied her friend. "You **are** in the business again, aren't you? I know you can't say anything, but please…be careful. There's something about these guys….I can't really pin it, just a feeling."

Lady Jaye hugged her friend. "Don't worry so much. You'd have to pay to get another facelift," she cracked, laughing when her friend punched her in the arm.

"Carl sure would like to see you again," Gwyn said, nodding in the direction of where the man in question was talking with the other Joes. "He had hoped you would come alone, but knew when you asked for four tickets, you were probably with someone. He never has quite gotten over his crush on you."

"Oh, stop it," Lady Jaye blushed. "We're just friends. I mean, he's like a brother to me."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't quite see it that way. Anyway, be careful around these Extensive Enterprise guys. They're slimy…I mean, they **are** lawyers, but there's something not quite right about them, especially the one with the scar."

Lady Jaye nodded. "Same to you. I know it's just a gig, but these guys can be dangerous."

The group soon left and headed back to their hotel. They once again gathered in the girls' room.

Lady Jaye filled in the rest with what Gwyn had told her.

Gung Ho nodded. "So that's why you picked them. Not only did you know them, but she's one of your contacts?"

She nodded. "Believe it or not, before they hit it big, Gwyn was one of my partners at MI-6. When the band became popular, she gave it up to go into music full time. That, of course, is confidential," she told the group, who nodded, understanding.

She glanced at her phone and saw there was a message from Hawk. She showed it to the group. They were being called back to base for a quick debrief, and then would head to the opening in Atlantic City.

Gung Ho chuckled. "Once again, poor Ace gets left out."

Lady Jaye smiled. "I can imagine he threw quite a fit when he wasn't part of the team."

"Not quite," Scarlett smiled back at her, "but close enough."

"Well, I have to admit, I'm not sorry to be quitting my job," grinned Lady Jaye, dialing a number on her phone. The others were amused to hear her tell her boss she was eloping with a man she had met that night and not to expect her to come into work tonight, or ever again.

She hung up, stifling a yawn.

Scarlett nodded. "Not a bad idea," she told her, then turned to the rest. "Let's get an early night in, then head out in the morning."


	11. Chapter 11

Hawk silently studied the group in front of him. They had just briefed him about their trip to Las Vegas and although they hadn't told him anything he hadn't already heard from Lady Jaye, he was letting it all soak in.

He already knew he was going to send them to Atlantic City, in the same personas Allie had created for them, but he wasn't sure of a few things.

For one, Flint was looking decidedly uncomfortable. He wondered what his warrant officer was thinking. Gung Ho, on the other hand, looked downright cheerful.

Lady Jaye was trying to catch his attention. She made a few slight gestures he took to mean she wanted to speak to him. Alone. He gave a slight nod, and cleared his throat, knowing all eyes were on him.

"I'll let you know my decision about Atlantic City, and whether we're going to actively pursue it, by this evening. For now, get some rest."

The others left the room with this dismissal, leaving Lady Jaye and Hawk alone.

"What's on your mind?" he asked her as she closed the door behind them.

She bit her lip, wondering just how free she was to discuss what she was thinking.

Hawk nodded, reading her dilemma. "I always expect you to be honest with me and give me your opinion, Allie," he told her, indicating the chair in front of him. "That will never change, whether I'm your CO or just your friend."

She gave a quick smile and sat down. Leaning forward, she began.

"The team did well in Vegas, they really did."

Hawk sensed a "but" in there somewhere. He sat back and waited.

She sighed. "Some took better to the assignment than others. Not that they didn't do a good job and what was asked of them, without complaint," she explained quickly. "It's just that, comfort-wise…."

"You'd rather take a smaller contingent to Atlantic City," Hawk finished for her.

She nodded, smiling, relieved that he understood what she was saying.

"Gung Ho was a natural and we did a good job establishing a sound cover. I'd find them to be more interested in checking out this new casino than the spoiled heiress that Shana played."

Hawk steepled his fingers, thinking. "So, you're saying you and Gung Ho should infiltrate the Cobra casino only."

"With backup nearby, yes. Just not covertly so," she explained quickly, glad that Hawk seemed to be considering her request. "I think it would seem too suspicious if all five of us showed up again."

Hawk nodded, settling back in his chair. "I have a few things to consider, and then I'll let you know with the others tonight. I will definitely take into consideration what you just suggested."

Knowing he couldn't give her a definite answer without discussing it with the others, she nodded, getting up to leave.

"Allie," Hawk said, making her pause with her hand on the doorknob.

"Yes?" she said, glancing over her shoulder.

"Good job," he said simply, the two words having a world of meaning for her.

She gave him a genuine smile. "Thanks," she replied, then left.


	12. Chapter 12

The nightmare came again that night. It always started the same. She was sleeping beside the man she loved. The one she thought loved her in return. A noise awoke her and she realized the spot next to her was now empty. The room was clouded with smoke and she began coughing, rolling to the floor to gulp in the cleaner air. That was when the explosions began, starting on the first floor and working their way up the stairs. Frightened and worried for her husband, she began to crawl along the floor, searching, gasping out his name. As she began to lose consciousness, she heard the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

Lady Jaye awoke, sitting straight up in bed, still gasping for air. She was covered in a cold sweat. The dream was always so realistic. Like it had really been, when it had actually happened to her. She shook her head, as if to clear the memory, but it lingered.

Sighing, she got up and padded from her bedroom to the small kitchenette she shared with her two roommates, Scarlett and Cover Girl, the only other two female Joes. She poured herself a glass of milk and leaned against the counter, taking small sips.

Hawk had told the team that evening that they would all be going to Atlantic City, but only Gung Ho and herself would be under cover. The rest would serve as backup, and be listening in as she and Gung Ho played their role. Flint, especially, had seemed relieved. Gung Ho had high-fived her. She chuckled at the memory of that.

"Bad dream again?" Scarlett asked, padding into the kitchen herself, eyes blinking rapidly from the small amount of light.

Lady Jaye nodded, not saying anything. She was embarrassed that Shana had caught her the first time with the dream. With that one, it had gone further than the one tonight, and Allie had woken up screaming. She had confessed to Shana that it was a recurring dream she had at times, nothing to worry about.

Shana had not said anything, other than offering the advice that Allie should see the Joe's resident psychologist to talk about it, but Allie had refused, saying it was something she could handle, and had lied that it wasn't that frequent anyway.

She had never told Shana that the nightmare itself had been a real moment in her life, one that she relived if she let herself think about it during the day, or was highly stressed. She had learned to control it, mostly, and it had occurred less and less during the years. It was just all that damned talk of betrayal, when she had run her mouth to Flint, she inwardly sighed.

"You need to talk about it?" Shana asked, knowing already what the answer would be.

Allie shook her head, confirming Shana's belief.

"I'm okay. Just thirsty, that's all. Sorry I woke you."

"Nah. You must not have noticed the clock. Beach will have us up for PT in about 30 minutes, so I'd rather have something in my stomach before heading out to his version of hell," she chuckled.

She smiled in response. "I hadn't, but thanks for the heads up. Guess I'd better get dressed then." Just because there were few female recruits didn't mean the PT Instructor cut them any slack. If anything, he was harder on the women, knowing the kind of prejudices they suffered being on a special missions force. It made the women work all the harder.


	13. Chapter 13

Flint watched the PT session happening below the window of the conference room. He turned to respond to something Duke said, then glanced back out the window, once again finding his eyes focusing on the brown-haired woman dressed in the green shirt and brown pants. He wondered why she chose such a shapeless uniform when she had that kind of body. His mind pictured her in the waitress outfit with the belly ring.

"Flint, get your brain back in your head and out of your pants! Hawk just said something to you," hissed Duke in his ear.

Flint straightened and turned to his CO. "Sorry, sir, I got caught up in the PT session," he apologized, gesturing below.

Hawk nodded. "Glad I brought in Wayne to lead those. He's one of the best. I know he's a hard-nose, and I've already heard complaints, but I've also seen the results."

Duke rolled his eyes at Flint when Hawk turned his back to observe out the window himself. He knew what Flint was really watching, and it had nothing to do with Beach Head.

They finished their business with Hawk and were walking back to Duke's office when he suddenly stopped and turned to Flint.

"Look, whatever it is, you'd better get it out of your system. I know Hawk turned a blind eye towards Snake Eyes and Scarlett, but you're her superior. Not sure if he'd do the same." At his friend's hard look, he sighed, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm telling you this as your friend. For the past week, I've seen you get distracted every time she comes in the room." He shook his head. "You can't think Hawk's not going to notice it. Remember, he was the one who brought her on board. He's not going to like you harassing her, or whatever the hell you're doing. If you're that hard up…"

"I can handle it," Flint growled, upset because he knew Duke was right. He wanted her out of his system, but it wasn't as easy as Duke made it sound. Hell, it wasn't even as easy as he had thought it would be. He'd never had trouble with women before, but this one…she just seemed to reject him at every turn. It had made him want her all the more. He wanted to peel back the layers and discover who she was. It was more than just a lust thing. The image of her tight shirt and short skirt flashed in his mind again. Okay, it was still a lust thing, but it was now more like an obsession.

Duke patted his friend on the shoulder again before moving on, leaving Flint to head on to his tiny office. He thought back to his conversation with Shana the other afternoon.

"You need to call your friend off," she had told him. "Frankly, Allie is this close to knocking him out," she said, barely an inch between the fingers she was holding up.

Duke had nervously run his hand through his hair. He didn't like getting involved in things like this and told Scarlett that.

She had shrugged in response. "Listen, I like Flint, I really do, but I have no idea what his thing is with Allie. First, he's suspicious of her and thinking she may be a Cobra agent, then all he wants to do is get in her pants. Yeah, it's that obvious," she had said to Duke's look. "Just talk to him, okay?"

She had then walked away, her red ponytail swinging behind her, Duke not being able to help admiring the view.

He shook his head to clear it and get himself back to the present. Well, he had tried to talk to Flint. Not sure how effective it had been, but then again, Dash didn't have the codename "Flint" because he was openminded! Maybe he needed Lady Jaye to knock him for a loop before he got it in his head she wasn't interested. In all the years he'd known him, he'd never known Dash to actively pursue a woman who just wasn't interested. Then again, there hadn't been many of those type of women in his life before. Maybe this one would humble him, he thought with a chuckle.

With a sigh at the paperwork in front of him, he cleared his mind of all these personal issues his friends faced, and got to work.


	14. Chapter 14

"Did you ever get a chance to talk to Duke?" asked Allie as she dried her hair with the towel. She had just finished showering after the latest PT session….a surprise one called for that afternoon….and Shana was waiting for Courtney to finish before she jumped in.

Shana, perched on Allie's bed, nodded. "Not sure how much good it did. He seemed really uncomfortable doing it, but he owes me a favor or two, so I charmed him into it."

Allie grinned, knowing what that meant. "Let me guess, you used your heaviest southern accent, batted those blue eyes, and sashayed out, giving him a good look at your backside?"

Shana tried to look innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Snake Eyes never knew what hit him, did he?" Allie laughed. "I always thought I was a good actress, but you have these guys wrapped around your finger!"

Shana smacked Allie's head with a pillow before she had time to duck.

"I wouldn't talk! You've got Hawk wrapped around yours! The man will listen to every idea you have and do it! Wish I had that much influence. If I didn't know you better, I'd say the two of you had something going!"

"Hey! No one told me we were having a pillow fight!" Courtney sang out from the doorway, letting one fly across the room. It landed harmlessly on the floor, missing its targets.

"If you want to talk about charm, how about our resident model and how Beach Head looks at her when he thinks no one's looking!" Shana smirked.

"It's not like he cuts me any slack," muttered Courtney. She glared at Shana. "And I don't know why you always tease me about him! I swear, I never see what you're talking about. It's like he picks on me more than the two of you just because of my modeling days!"

"Kind of like the braids dipped in the inkwell," Allie said slyly. At the other two's blank looks, she sighed. "Anne of Green Gables? When Gilbert picked on Anne….I swear, what did your elementary schools have you read?"

"Anyway," Shana said, ducking around Courtney, "I hope you left me some hot water! I'll leave you and Allie to discuss literature."

Courtney wrinkled her nose. "No offense, Allie, but unless it's a Mauler manual, I haven't really had time to read anything lately!"

"I think she was kidding," Allie smiled at her friend. "How goes the garage?"

"Busy. I don't know what they teach these recruits, but it's obviously not being able to handle vehicles! By the way, thank your friend again for that all-purpose tool he sent. It is awesome! Clutch is sooo jealous!" she said with a wicked laugh.

"Not a problem. I'm sure he's glad you found a use for it. It's a new model for his company and he was more than happy to give it to me when I told him I had someone who would give him an honest review on it!" Allie gave herself a mental reminder to email her cousin about the tool.

"He'll probably want you to fill out some survey," she told her, but Courtney shrugged.

"It's totally worth it. Hey, any time your friend wants to send something else, tell him I'm more than happy to test it out for him!"

Allie got a glimpse of her hair in the mirror and jumped. "I'd better do something with this before I'm dubbed bride of Frankenstein!" she told Courtney with a laugh. "Granted, it's not the model look, but my normal hairstyle is much better than this!"

Courtney took the cue and left her friend to finish getting dressed.

After making a face at herself in the mirror, her hair finally tamed, Allie was set to get to work. She had a meeting with Hawk and Gung Ho in less than an hour to talk about the Cobra casino. Scarlett had gotten some more intell on it and shared it with them previously, so they needed to lay down a plan of action, as well as establish the backup team.

She frowned, hoping Flint wouldn't be joining them on this mission. She had no idea what was wrong with the guy, but he obviously didn't take no for an answer. Since Vegas, he had been doing his best to annoy her at every turn. She guessed he would call it flirting, but no matter what she did, he just didn't get the hint that she was not interested in some egotistical jerk who thought he was god's gift to women. Granted, he was attractive, but she just didn't need a guy in her life right now. Plus, he was her superior, and she pretty much thought that even in the US military, that was frowned upon.

Rolling her eyes, she decided not to waste any more time thinking about him. She just hoped Duke had said something that would get through to him. Granted, she'd rather use the direct approach and talk to Flint herself, but since that hadn't worked, she had thought this might.

"So, we have some shopping to do," Allie grinned at Gung Ho later in Hawk's office, who smiled back at her. "Designer labels, tailored fit….that's going to cement your cover more than anything else. In this day and age, millionaires pop up everywhere, making money out of anything, so education and background don't matter as much. Clothes make the man," she repeated.

Turning to Hawk, he nodded his head. Leaning back, he regarded the two. "I'll leave you in Allie's capable hands, Ettienne. She's the expert in this area. I'll grant you some time to go on this shopping trip, but you need to be able to leave in three days in order to make it for the casino's opening."

The two nodded. She turned to her partner. "Let me make a few calls tonight, and we'll head out tomorrow morning. We'll have everything ready to go and be back here by the end of the day tomorrow…." She turned her prettiest smile on Hawk. "Maybe we could fly into New York to further our cover? I can have a plane available for us by the morning?"

Hawk sighed. "You used that charm on me as a child…..and it worked then," he laughed. The remark got Gung Ho's attention. She had known Hawk when she was a kid?

"Granted. Call your cousin and have them deliver something, if you want. No military," he told her.

She nodded, smiling. Turning once again to Gung Ho, she gave a wide smile. "We'll have fun. Promise."

As they walked out of Hawk's office, Gung Ho couldn't hold it in any longer. "So, I have to ask you, where does all this stuff come from? Who's paying for it? And who the hell do you know that gets you all these things?"

Allie's smile faltered a little, but she knew the question would be coming at some point, so she was prepared. "I've worked with a lot of people over the years and have made quite a few contacts. Before joining MI-6, I was an actress over in Europe and did a few stints in New York. I got to know people." She shrugged. "Once you're in the industry, as well as with some family connections, you'd be amazed at what people will trade favors for, or just do for you."

She patted Gung Ho's shoulder. "Just be ready to leave early, around 5am. Something tells me even though Hawk granted us the use of a nonmilitary plane flying out of the base, he isn't going to want a lot of people knowing we're doing that."


	15. Chapter 15

"So you seriously get to go on a shopping trip," Courtney said wistfully. "Maybe I need to trade in my wrench for a costume, then, if that's what it entails."

Allie smiled at her. "Not always. It's a nice perk, though."

Courtney looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you need the names or numbers of some of the designers? I still know a few in the industry."

Allie didn't want to hurt her friend's feelings, but had to be honest. "I think we've got it all taken care of. I still have some sources leftover from my New York days, and they already know I'm coming, so they have things ready for Gung Ho and myself."

She bit her lip, then leaned forward. "I have an apartment in New York that gets swamped with clothes every fashion week. With my mother being who she is, they always send me the latest things. We'll have to make a trip there, just the girls, and you two can pick through what you want."

Courtney's eyes brightened. "Really? Shana won't know what hit her!" she giggled. "I should've realized, with your family, that would be the case!" Courtney was one of the few in GI Joe that knew Allie came from a very privileged background, having recognized the "Hart" name when Allie had first introduced herself. Knowing Allie hadn't wanted it advertised, she had kept quiet.

Courtney wished her own past was as much a secret. Unfortunately, she felt she always had to prove that she was more than just a pretty face. Especially with Beach Head. Her brow wrinkled at the thought of the cause of her aching leg that she had banged on the course earlier that day. Of course, the PT commander missed nothing, and had made some remark about not quitting her day job.

"I would love to see the plane that your cousin is going to deliver!" Courtney leaned forward conspiratorially, as the mess hall began to fill. Allie had taken to eating earlier in the day, when possible, to avoid Flint, which meant that it was often a private place to talk since it was usually pretty empty. She found she was relieved to be going on the mission so she wasn't always checking over her shoulder for him. Maybe a few days with her gone would cool his jets. She just wished he would move on to someone else, and soon.

"Hawk wants him to deliver it after midnight tonight, when the staff is low, then we're leaving at 5am. So, you either have to be an early bird or a night owl."

"Well, if Hawk's letting you keep the outfits, I want dibs on your closet when you're done!" Courtney declared. "Not to mention, next time all 3 of us can get off, we're heading to New York! Granted, I don't mind the coveralls too much when I'm in the garage, but a night out now and then would be nice!"

Allie didn't tell her that most of her outfits would probably be from the selection awaiting her in her apartment. They had been delivered recently enough that they were still considered _haute couture_. The designers were more than happy to have her show them off at the casino. She hadn't told them where she was going, only that it was a grand opening, but that had been enough to get Gung Ho in the door as well.

She looked up and smiled as she saw Gung Ho approaching their table.

Courtney grinned, punching him in the arm as he sat next to her, across from Allie. "You lucky dog! I hear you get to go shopping with Allie!"

He nodded, smiling. He really was excited about this mission, and he liked working with Lady Jaye. She was definitely a professional, but he had to admit, doing the whole undercover, James Bond thing…it was pretty cool. It wasn't something he'd want to do all the time, he quickly assured himself, but having someone fun and attractive like Lady Jaye hanging over his arm, she made it worth his while. She didn't have Cover Girl's model looks, or Scarlett's striking hair and blue eyes, but there was something about her that made you look twice.

He liked the way she could immerse herself in her roles, too. That waitress thing, well that had been…wow! He hadn't known she had a body like that! He shook his head, trying for a more professional approach. Playing his bored, spoiled French wife….yeah, safer route….she was even believable as that!

He had always secretly been a fan of the old spy movies, and it felt so cool to be playing that part now! He would keep that thought to himself, knowing the others would make fun of him. He knew Flint was a little upset that he hadn't been picked to work with Lady Jaye and he had to admit, he was feeling a little superior to his friend. Sure, Flint was a good looking guy who would probably be more believable with a woman like Allie, but she had chosen him over Flint.

He realized the girls were still talking, assuming he was listening, so he refocused his mind on them, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Flint and Duke had entered the mess hall. He saw by Allie's frown that she had noticed it, too. He wasn't sure what was going on between the two. He had noticed Flint around her a lot lately and that she always seemed to be in an irritable mood when he was.

As soon as he left the room, she would perk back up. He knew it was none of his business, but maybe he needed to have a talk with Allie, to make sure things were okay. He knew Flint was third in command on base, but if the guy was harassing her, she needed to report it to Hawk. She was too nice a person to put up with that. Then again, he chuckled to himself, she seemed pretty capable of handling herself, recalling a time in the training room where she had taken down one of her male partners.

Allie looked down as her phone chirped, relieved that it gave her an excuse to leave the mess hall. She looked up at Gung Ho and nodded. "Think our ride's on the way. Want me to let you know when it gets here?"

"Sure. If you need me….for anything…." his gaze strayed to where Duke and Flint sat on the other end of the room, still engrossed in a conversation, "you let me know."

She read his unspoken offer. "Thanks," she replied softly, patting him on the back. "I'll let you know." Getting up, she made her way to the door, feeling eyes on her as she left. She sighed. She really didn't need this. She'd have to confront him again if it didn't stop, and make him see reason. _I've already had my lifetime's share of stalkers, thanks_, she thought silently to herself as she walked down the hallway.

She knocked on Hawk's open door. Looking up, he smiled when he saw who it was.

"Ian just texted me and said he's on his way. You sure you want him to land on base, or just go to one of the private airstrips?"

Hawk shook his head. "I already have clearance for him to land here. I'd like for you to be able to go through it with him, with us installing some of our own devices. We wouldn't be able to do that elsewhere. I was thinking that it would look natural for you and your "husband" to fly to Atlantic City, and I'd rather have you prepared. Plus, it'll be good to see that crazy cousin of yours again."

Thinking, she frowned. "What about the backup team?"

"We'll take care of getting them there and set up, separately from you and Gung Ho."

She nodded. "What if someone asks where we got the plane from?"

Hawk sighed. "I know MARS has been aligned with Destro too many times, and the control is back in your family's hands, but I feel for now, we'll need to keep it quiet. The plane is on loan, anyway, so we won't have it after this mission."

"True." The room was quiet as both of them thought for a moment.

"Your uncle's not aware that you're here, is he?" Hawk finally asked, breaking the silence.

She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure he doesn't know. If he's at the casino, I think I can change my looks just enough so that I look like the photograph they probably took in Vegas, but different enough that he'd have to look twice to recognize me. If I see him, I'll lay low," she assured him.

Suddenly, she stiffened, glancing down the darkened hallway.

Hawk frowned. "What's wrong?"

Allie cursed herself silently. What was she doing talking about this in an open doorway? Anyone could overhear and who knows what kind of conclusions they'd jump to? Stupid, stupid, she berated herself. Granted, she got along with most of her teammates, but the knowledge that she was related to one of the Cobra officers could very well change that.

"Thought I heard something. It's probably nothing but my own paranoia," she half-heartedly joked.

Hawk glanced at his watch. "You have a little while before he gets here. Head down to the communications room and let Breaker know. I've already briefed him on the arrival."

She nodded, hurrying away.

From the shadows, Flint frowned. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but had been waiting to talk to Hawk at what he thought had been a fair distance. He wasn't sure who she thought would be at the casino that was a relative, that she wouldn't want this person to recognize her. Hawk was worried about it as well.

He had glanced at her file when they had gotten back from Vegas and had been shocked to see that most of it was highly classified and some of it had literally been blacked out or intentionally left blank. Other than being born in Martha's Vineyard, (a pretty prestigious address), and her previous employment with MI-6 and as an actress, it hadn't told him much.

She had dual citizenship in Scotland and America, he had also discovered, which made sense with the slight accent she had – the one that was especially apparent when she was angry. She had been educated at Bryn-Mawr and Trinity College, majoring in linguistics. That meant she was smart. Really smart. She might prove to be more of a challenge than he had originally thought.


	16. Chapter 16

Lady Jaye smiled as she watched the plane approach. Excited to see her cousin, she had to admit she was just as excited to get her hands on the plane. It had been too long since she had last flown.

Breaker had been briefed by Hawk, and had guided the plane in, turning on the minimal landing lights on the tarmac, but Ian had communicated to him that it wasn't necessary - the vehicle was equipped with enough gadgets that it could see to land in the blackest of night!

Her smile grew as she watched her cousin walk towards her. He enveloped her in a huge hug, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around.

"_Tha mi gad ionndrainn*_," she said softly, once he set her down.

"You too, _ceann beag_**," he told her, looking closely at her in the dim light. "Let's get inside. I'd like to meet with Clayton, then catch up before I have to head back."

She nodded, feeling silly that her eyes were teary. She tried to discretely wipe them away, but felt Ian's reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Homesick?" he asked in a quiet voice, understanding.

She nodded, not wanting to speak. She would hate for her teammates to see her this way, and took a moment to compose herself. Ian waited patiently.

She moved forward, feeling better, shaking her head at what she deemed her own weakness.

"So, Courtney wants to thank you again for the tool and says anytime you need a guinea pig, just ask!" Allie said with a grin. "Too bad she's on duty tonight. She wanted to meet you."

"Hmm. I'd like to meet her, too, come to think of it. She's the former model, right?"

"Cool down, cousin. You'd have to stand in line," Allie chuckled.

Since it was late, the corridors were pretty empty and they passed few people on the way to Hawk's office. Originally, the plan had been to all meet on the tarmac, but Hawk ended up having a late meeting scheduled with Duke and Flint, so hopefully he was done with the two of them.

Her luck seemed to be running low that night. When she tapped on the door, it was Flint who opened it and ushered them in. He eyed the stranger, taking in every detail, including his possessive hold on Lady Jaye.

"Ian!" Hawk rose from his chair and shook his hand. "Good to see you again! It's been awhile!"

"So it has," Ian replied cheerfully, taking in everything, including the glare he was getting from one of the men in the room. Instinctively, he moved closer to Allie, which only made the glare deepen.

Ah, so that's how it is, he thought, and couldn't help his wicked grin. He wondered how his cousin felt about the guy.

"Flint, Duke, I want you to meet Ian Burnett," Hawk introduced the man to his second and third in command. "Flew in a model that Lady Jaye and Gung Ho will be using for the mission. Quality item, I'm sure."

Ian smiled. "It's got a few tricks to it. Figured I'd show you and Al them while I'm here." He glanced at his watch. "We'll need to get moving, though, seeing as I need to be leaving soon."

Flint wondered exactly how close Lady Jaye was to the man. He couldn't miss the strong Scottish accent and thought about her file once again. Who was this guy to her? The way they stood together, they were obviously close. He felt his irritation rise as he and Duke were excluded from the "tour" and dismissed by Hawk.

Duke chuckled at his friend's frown. "Worried about the competition?" he teased him.

Flint growled an unintelligible response.

He patted his friend on the shoulder. "Seriously, you need to deal with this. Get her out of your system, or have Hawk down your throat. Your choice, man," he said, shaking his head, leaving his friend standing in the hallway.

Allie, Hawk, and Gung Ho, who had met them on the tarmac, were discovering the hidden secrets of what looked to be an ordinary private plane. They were impressed, but Allie wasn't surprised. She knew the genius of her cousin and his designs.

"How are you getting back?" Allie asked him, once they were finished.

Ian grinned. Taking a remote from his pocket, he pressed a button and a hidden door opened on the plane, revealing a small motorbike. "Got a test run to make, then I'll fly back with one of our jets stored in Atlanta. Got a few friends to visit, first, though," he said with a wink.

Allie rolled her eyes. "Female ones?" she asked needlessly, with an arched brow. Ian's continued grin confirmed it. Shaking her head, she gave a small chuckle and hugged her cousin as he took the helmet from the handlebars of the bike.

"You sure you don't want to stay the night?" asked Hawk, walking over to the two, Gung Ho following him.

"No offense, Clayton, but I'm not exactly the military type, not like Allie here, although how you get her to follow orders, I'll never know," he teased.

Hawk chuckled. "I know what you mean," he said with an affectionate look at Lady Jaye. He held out his hand. "Take care, Ian. We'll be in touch."

Gung Ho watched as Ian took off, then turned to Lady Jaye. "So, we're leaving tonight?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I just have to grab my bag, and then we can go. Meet you back here in 30 minutes?"

He nodded, realizing it gave him enough time to grab a cup of coffee from the control room. Not that he minded the night missions, but when you've just put in a full day – and Scarlett had warned him about needing his energy for a shopping trip with Lady Jaye – it was almost as necessary as fueling the plane.

Whistling, laughing at himself for being so excited about a mission, he nearly ran into Flint as he rounded the corner.

Noticing his friend's frown, he stopped. "What's up, Dash? Figured you'd be in bed by now," he said, noticing the late hour on his watch. "Everything okay?"

"You leaving with Lady Jaye already for Atlantic City?"

Gung Ho gave a short, nervous laugh, rubbing his head. "Well, we have a stop in New York City first, apparently, to get my outfits for the mission. Then, we'll meet you guys there….well, not exactly meet you," he floundered, wondering why he was babbling on, "but well, when you're there as backup, we'll kind of be in the same place."

"Who was the guy with the plane?" asked Flint in a gruffer tone than he intended.

Gung Ho looked surprised. "Ian? Nice guy. Funny. Friend of Lady Jaye's and Hawk, I supposed. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. Just curious," Flint lied.

Gung Ho looked curiously at Flint. "Wait…you're not interested in….I mean, you don't think…."

"It's nothing," Flint repeated. "Just wondered why a civilian was welcomed with opened arms on what's supposed to be a secret military base, that's all."

Gung Ho shrugged. "Well, Hawk knows him, and he called him 'Clayton,' so I suppose they're pretty close. Says they know each other from way back, kind of like him and Allie. Wonder if the two could be related?" he mused. "They're about the same age."

Flint paused as he turned to walk away. Yes, that very well could be it, he thought. While he had noticed Lady Jaye had leaned into the guy as he had his arm around her, he hadn't read anything more than affection between the two. He shook his head. He had work to do and didn't need to keep dwelling on this.

"Good luck," he gruffed to Gung Ho, giving him a nod. "Guess we'll talk in Atlantic City."

Gung Ho stared after the warrant officer as he walked away. So that's how it is, he thought, and felt sorry for his friend. He didn't know what he was getting into.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: <em>

_*Scottish Gaelic for "I miss you"_

_**Gaelic for "little one"_


	17. Chapter 17

Allie grinned at Gung Ho as he collapsed on the sofa in her apartment. "Tired?" she asked in an innocent tone. She was answered with a groan.

"I don't know how you females do it," he groused. "Between the whole measuring thing and trying on what felt to be a thousand things…who knew I had to try on underwear, for god's sake!"

She laughed. "You'd be surprised what the wealthy have to endure to look good! You seemed to enjoy the manicure!" she teased, eliciting a laugh from him.

"Yeah, I have to admit," he said, studying his nails, "it was kind of cool. Girly, but cool." He paused and a look of panic crossed his face. "You won't tell the guys about it! I'll never hear the end of it!"

Smiling, she shook her head no, leaning back into the plush sofa. "The outfits should be delivered tomorrow. They put a rush on them, so we can head out to AC in time for the grand opening."

She yawned herself, then laughed. "Guess I'm not as used to the pace as I was in my younger days," she admitted, slipping her shoes off her feet.

Gung Ho turned to her. "So, what exactly did you do before all the military and spy business?"

Allie smiled. "Believe it or not, I was an actress. I studied to be a linguist in school, but that was more fun. Did a couple shows in London and New York, as well as some other places. Hence, the whole fashion connections," she shrugged. It was partly true, she thought defensively. Gung Ho was too nice to play around with, and she didn't want to keep creating lies to cover her past.

"It was nice of your friend to loan us this place for the night," he told her. She tried not to flinch at the lie thrown in her face. "You got your clothes in order?" he asked, concerned. "I mean, we spent all day on me, it seems…."

She smiled. "I'm taken care of, don't worry. Well," she said, getting up and stretching, "feel free to stay out here, watch TV, whatever, but I'm going to head on to bed. I'll see you in the morning?"

Gung Ho nodded, catching the TV remote as she tossed it to him. He had already put his things in the guest bedroom. He was tired, but still felt a little wired after the events of the day, so he figured he'd find something mindless on to help his brain calm down.

Allie yawned again as she entered her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she looked around and smiled. She didn't get to her place too often, and had thought about subletting or even selling it lately, but was glad at this point, she hadn't. Walking over, she picked up a framed photograph by the bedside and smiled at the family in the picture. A wave of sadness overcame her as she traced her father's face. She missed him so much.

Setting it carefully back down, she opened the closet and looked at the garment bags hanging within. With a satisfied sigh, she unzipped several, nodding at the clothes within. Stylish, young, not too conservative yet not wild – definitely suited for this mission. Shaking her head, she wondered if she had typecast herself into a certain style. Pulling out a famous designer name luggage set out of the back of the walk-in closet, she began to carefully pack the selected items, picking out accessories as needed.

She smiled, thinking she may have to keep the apartment after all. Where else would she hide her hidden love of clothes and shoes? Shana and Courtney would freak if they ever saw this closet, she chuckled to herself. She'd definitely have to bring them at some point.

Finishing, she gave a satisfied nod, stacking the luggage over by the door. Ettienne was going to have a cow when he saw everything she was taking for just a short weekend! Most of it was for cover, in case the plane was searched. She had debated on what to pack for sleepwear. The image they were trying to project would have her wearing slinky nightgowns, but she knew Ettienne would be embarrassed by anything too revealing. She had finally decided on a silky lounge set that consisted of a separate top and pants. She had thrown in a nightgown, again for cover, in case their luggage was searched.

Mentally ticking off her list, she finally felt that she was ready.

The next morning dawned bright and early. Gung Ho's clothes were delivered by early afternoon. Allie packed them in a matching bag to her own set, the amount of which, as she had predicted, garnered several teasing comments from him.

"You'd think we were packing for a month long trek!" he had commented.

"Hey, a girl's got to be prepared!" she had rallied back. They sat, eating a late lunch, and talked about what to expect.

"We keep our same identities, obviously," Allie said, sipping her tea. Since she so seldom came to her apartment anymore, they had sent out for lunch. However, she always kept a wide selection of teas and coffees ready to use. "Alison and Ettienne Chevalier." She handed him his passport. "Our identities are airtight, so when they do a search, they'll find a wealthy industrialist and his wife. Most of your wealth, however, was inherited. Here's just a quick background history," she said, handing him a piece of paper to read. She already had it memorized.

He whistled. "This is impressive. I guess I never thought how much work goes into all this spy business. I have to say, it's almost as tough as going out and actually fighting the snakes face to face!"

Allie smiled. "Not quite, but I know what you mean."

"I'm sure you handle yourself well in a fight as well," he told her truthfully.

She nodded, knowing that he was actually asking a question. As of yet, she hadn't been in too many engagements as a Joe, but she could handle her own in a fight.

"Well, Ettienne," she said in French after giving him some time to go over the paper, "let's shred the document and hit the friendly skies! Care to indulge your wife and let her fly?"

He chuckled. "Alison, chere, it would be a delight!"


	18. Chapter 18

Flint trained his binoculars on the front door of the casino. "The snakes seem pretty quiet today," he commented to Roadblock, who chuckled.

"You'd think they'd be rushing around, getting ready for their party," he commented to Flint. "See any sign of the French couple yet? They texted us not too long ago that they landed."

Flint grunted, which Marvin took to be a no. He tried not to smile. He was happy for Gung Ho to get a little R&R for the job. He deserved it. However, it was becoming pretty apparent to the rest of the team that Flint had a little thing for Lady Jaye – and he was not very good at hiding it. Several had already commented that they knew the man wanted to be in Gung Ho's position, and was disgruntled that he wasn't chosen. Lady Jaye, however, didn't seem to either notice or care.

Roadblock looked over at Flint's sudden indrawn breath. "See something?" he asked, alert.

He remained silent, just watching the couple disembark from the car. Her hair seemed redder today than it had before, and her outfit…well, it wasn't as revealing as her Vegas waitress one, but damn, it looked sexy as hell in a classy sort of way.

He handed the binoculars to Roadblock, who whistled. "She sure cleaned up Ettienne! Not sure what miracle worker did that," he chuckled, "but he looks like a different person! Doubt a snake will recognize him today!"

He glanced sideways at Flint, who was busy looking at one of his devices, and handed him the binoculars. "Allie didn't look too bad, either. She really is one class act – whoever chose her code name sure knew her well! Well, now that we're in, what's our next move?"

Flint handed his partner an earpiece. "We listen, and wait. Not much else to do," he shrugged, trying to draw his mind away from how she had looked. Gung Ho had opened her door, and that first glimpse of her bare leg, followed by the rest of her….she just had something about her, something that kept him coming back for more. More of what, he just wasn't sure. So far, she didn't seem too interested, but he'd wear her down.

He shook his head, sighing, and settled down to listen. They wouldn't hear anything unless either Lady Jaye or Gung Ho switched channels on their comm. units, and that would only be in a case of an emergency extraction. Right now, they were linked to the same channel as the base, so Hawk could give them instructions as needed.

Nodding at Roadblock, they left the roof of the building they were currently observing on, ready to sit and relax in the cheap motel room they had gotten (a no questions asked kind of place not too far from the casino) until they heard otherwise.

They walked in on a small poker game. Roadblock chuckled, turning to Flint to comment, "Well, if you can't beat them, might as well use it to pass the time. Deal me in boys," he told the rest of the team, settling into one of the empty chairs.

Flint shrugged, figuring he might as well join them as well. It was going to be a long evening.


	19. Chapter 19

"This place doesn't look half bad," Gung Ho muttered to Lady Jaye as they took in the entry of the casino.

"Ah! Madame and Monsieur Chevalier!" greeted a tuxedoed man as they approached the front lobby. "We have been expecting you!"

Allie muttered something to Ettienne in French that made him chuckle. She tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and followed him inside. He gestured behind him, and a waiting bellhop picked up their bags and loaded them on a cart. Allie had to admit, she was impressed at how well Gung Ho fit into this world.

"How did he know our names?" Gung Ho wondered aloud later, after they had checked the room and neutralized the bugs they found. Allie glanced at the cell phone that lay in the center of the room, giving them the privacy to talk as it sent out a white noise to those listening in, before answering.

"I'm assuming they took our picture at the 'private game' back in Vegas. They'll want to already encourage high rollers, like ourselves," she smiled, "to feel as comfortable and welcome as possible."

"Hmm. Well, what's the plan then? Do we stay together or separate downstairs?"

Allie looked thoughtful for a moment. "To spend every moment together would be a little strange. Let's play it by ear, but have a backup plan, in case we need each other. Remember, our primary is to find out exactly what they're doing, but not engage. Backup's only in place if something goes awry."

He nodded. "Got it." He glanced down at his designer watch and couldn't help but smile. How the hell had he gotten here, dressed like this? He knew the surveillance team was probably splitting their sides, looking at him like this, but he didn't care. He felt like James Bond!

Grinning, he told Allie that very thing. She patted his back. "Let's head on down. Keep your cell and we'll text in case we get separated. Remember to dial 99 if you get into trouble."

They began at the tables together, but after Gung Ho was invited to yet another private game, Allie decided to stay out on the floor and check things out.

Bored, she wandered to one of the small shops, pretending to be interested in the merchandise. Fingering some of the clothes, she was surprised to see one of her favorite designers was being sold in the store. Funny, he was very selective about where his designs were sold, and she couldn't imagine him granting any casino the rights.

She wandered out of the store and into the small café, ordering a cappuccino and pastry. Getting an idea, she checked the browser on her phone and noted with interest, after doing a search, that a shipment from this particular designer was reported missing from his last show. Closing her eyes, she shook her head. Trust Cobra, in order to look legitimate, to steal designer clothes to sell in their shops.

She finished her drink and checked out the other shops. While not boasting exclusive designers, she was amused to find that several stores were selling statuettes of snakes and, in particular, cobras. She debated on buying a snake charm bracelet as a joke for Shana, but changed her mind and wandered out of the shop.

Okay, so they're selling stolen merchandise and snake-themed items, she mentally noted with a wry smile. Typical Cobra, but nothing too alarming as yet. Maybe this was just a fund raiser then?

She paused. Where had this dizzy feeling come from? Holding her hand up to her head, she wondered if what she had eaten had been poisoned? Seriously? She stumbled over to the elevators and managed to get to the bathroom in their suite before she was sick.

Laying her face on the cold tile, she wondered if this was coincidence or not. After all, it wasn't exactly flu season at this time of year. Granted, she could have a bug that just happened to come about during the mission, but she didn't believe in coincidence.

Allie pulled her phone from her pocket. It hadn't buzzed, but she checked it anyway, to make sure Gung Ho hadn't tried to contact her. Nothing. She wondered if she should check on him. She sent a quick text and leaned her head back against the wall where she was sitting, to wait.

What would be the point of Cobra making their patrons sick? It wouldn't be to their advantage to have their guests leave or confined to their rooms. Her head was starting to clear, so whatever it was was obviously leaving her system.

There was knock on the suite's outer door. Frowning, Allie slowly pulled herself up and carefully walked to the door. While she felt better, she also felt a strange weakness that she was determined to fight.

Glancing through the peep hole, she noted the nervous way the boy was standing outside her door. What was this about then?

She carefully opened the door.

"Yes?" she asked in heavily accented English.

"Ma'am," the boy said, who couldn't have been more than 16, "the management sent this to make sure you're feeling better." He shifted from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. He thrust the box at her and literally ran away.

Allie quickly closed the door, then studied the strange box. She didn't have a good feeling about it. Setting it down on the coffee table, she checked her phone again. No message from Gung Ho. Maybe it was time to call in the others?

Knowing the room was being monitored, she dialed Gung Ho's number. Four rings, then an automated voice mail message. She left a message, in French, for her "husband" that she was in the room and didn't feel well, so she'd be staying there if he needed her. She also asked him to call her.

Going into the bathroom, she closed the door and turned the shower on full blast. She did the same to the sinks. Given the cover of the noise, she then went to Plan B.


	20. Chapter 20

Flint snapped the phone shut. Looking at the guys, who had grown silent with the sound of the ringing phone, he nodded. "Gung Ho's not answering his calls and Lady Jaye feels like she may have been compromised. Roadblock, Shipwreck, and myself will go in first, check things out, then call in the rest of the team if we find it necessary."

The others nodded, having already been briefed on "Plan B."

Shipwreck grinned, throwing his arms over Flint and Roadblock's shoulders. "Come on boys, it's time to try out our luck!"

Roadblock chuckled at Flint's expression. "Hope you're feeling lucky, then, Hector," he told Shipwreck. "We need to separate and check on Lady Jaye and find Gung Ho."

Shipwreck opened his mouth, but Flint beat him to it. "I'll check out the room. You and Roadblock will split up and find this private game Gung Ho is supposed to be involved in."

Mumbling good-naturedly, Shipwreck gestured towards Flint, asking Roadblock, "How come he gets to get the girl?"

Flint chose to ignore the comment as well as Roadblock's grin.

He was grateful Lady Jaye had given him a backstory this time. He was to ask at the desk her room number, her theory being that either they wouldn't care or just assume she was carrying on an affair, especially after he asked if she was traveling with her husband.

He got a strange look on that one, but the girl tapped on her keyboard, then nodded. "Yes, sir. They checked in together, but were given a suite. Is she expecting you?"

Flint grinned. "Of course! You can call up and ask, or I can get her on my cell for you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I see that she has added you to the room list," apologized the clerk, squinting at her screen. She could've sworn that wasn't there a moment ago. She handed him a room card, then explained that it also worked as his casino card.

Flint waited through the explanation, wondering if it was ever going to end.

Finally, the clerk smiled, wished him luck, and glanced back down at her terminal in dismissal. He grabbed the first available elevator and punched the button to the suite's floor.

Letting himself into the room, he looked around, quickly assessing the situation. The living area was empty, and the suite was quiet. Glancing around, he was surprised by how nice it looked. Cobra certainly had muscled themselves into a nice place!

Lady Jaye walked carefully into the room, using the wall for support, and he noted her pale face with surprise and concern. He immediately went over to her to grab her arm, helping her to the sofa since it looked like she was on the verge of collapse.

He said as much, knowing they were possibly being monitored. She waved a hand in dismissal.

"I think I have a touch of the flu," she said in her heavy English. "If you could help me to the couch, I have taken the antibiotic shot that Ettienne insists we carry with us at all times. I should start to feel better soon, I hope."

In other words, she had an anti-toxin she had taken, he interpreted.

He still didn't like how pale she was. "You're sure you're okay? Maybe it was something you ate?"

She gave a shrug. "Could be, I suppose. I just wish Ettienne would call back. He hasn't answered my messages." Allie leaned her head back against the sofa after Flint helped her down. She hated feeling this weak, but it couldn't be helped, she supposed. While she no longer felt nauseous, she did feel weak and very tired. She frowned. Was this the effect of the shot or of the poison? She wasn't quite sure.

She gestured to the television remote, and Flint handed it to her. She switched on an old movie and turned it up.

Leaning close to Flint so she was practically speaking in his ear, she told him what she had discovered in the shops. "Not that it's much, mind you, but between that and what was probably poisoned food….it doesn't add up too well."

"Marvin and Hector are looking for him now. You need to rest," he told her, offering to move so she could lay down. However, she insisted on staying upright, claiming it made her dizzy if she was horizontal.

She sighed. "I hate this. I should have suspected that this was a possibility, but why poison their patrons? I can't figure that one out. This shot should be working soon, though." She stifled a yawn and looked apologetically at Flint. "Sorry, it does make you drowsy, though."

Flint gave her a sympathetic smile. "Look, my job is to stay with you right now. Why don't you take a quick nap so your medicine can kick in? I can monitor things from here."

"Hmm. I guess you can be nice when you want to be," she tried to joke. She was so tired. Her mind was so muddled, and her limbs felt like dead weight. She found herself leaning into Flint, his arm supporting her. She slowly drifted off.

Flint studied her still pale face with a frown. He didn't like this – maybe they needed to pull out? Lady Jaye needed medical attention and even though she had insisted the shot she took would take care of things, he wasn't so sure. Granted, he liked the way her body felt, leaning into his for support – what man wouldn't? Looking down at her, he brushed a stray hair from her face. He sighed, wishing it was a different time, a different place.

His comm. link buzzed. Checking it, he saw it was Marvin reporting in that he hadn't found anything. A few seconds later, the same report came from Hector. He tried not to sigh. The waiting was killing him.

He carefully disengaged himself from Lady Jaye and checked out her laptop which was sitting open on the coffee table. He pushed a button to "wake it", and was surprised when the screen showed security camera images. He realized she must have hacked into their security system. Impressive. Scanning the different camera angles as they flashed on the screen, he finally spotted Marvin. He watched for several more minutes, but when the loop began again, he realized there was still no sign of Gung Ho.

The suite door opened, and Flint quickly closed the laptop and instinctively checked for his gun, carefully concealed in the civilian clothes he was wearing. He braced himself for anything.

A man entered the room, then stopped short when he noticed Flint standing there. He looked confused for a moment, before he quickly masked it.

"I was told this room was empty," he began, his gaze flickering to Lady Jaye. Flint knew he was lying.

"Well, it's not," growled Flint, standing in front of her in a protective gesture. "What do you want?"

"I was told there was a sick woman, and I was taking her to the infirmary," the man answered, looking unsure. He turned and disappeared, but then quickly reappeared with a wheel chair, a blanket on the seat. "With this," he finished unnecessarily.

"First you say the room is empty, then you're supposed to escort a sick woman? I'd get your story straight first. However, she's in good hands here. You're not needed," Flint growled again, knowing full well that if he let this guy take her, she'd be in more danger.

The man looked unsure. "I'm just following orders," he shrugged. "The infirmary wants to see her and check her out. I'm just trying to help."

"If you want to help her, then go find her husband, Ettienne. He's in a private card game somewhere, and she's been waiting for him to contact her."

The man looked nervous. "My orders were…"

"Well, you can forget those orders, and if someone has a problem with it, they can come talk to me," Flint interrupted, irritated. What was their plan? Drug the wealthy women and hold them for ransom? He wouldn't put it past Cobra.

He literally had to push the man out the door. Shutting and bolting it behind the man, Flint returned to the couch to check on Lady Jaye.

She looked so young, lying there. Her few freckles stood out more on her pale face than usual. He found himself studying them as well as her other features before he stopped himself.

Sighing, he wondered if he should try to wake her. He wasn't sure if the attendant would come back with a more forceful "argument", or if he should let the anti-toxin work its way through her system. His eyes strayed to a white box on the table. He was about to investigate it when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

"Maybe I should have gone with him," Allie said, eyes still closed. Flint started. He hadn't realized she was awake. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Nowhere in the schematics was there an infirmary marked. I certainly didn't call anyone to come pick me up."

She slowly got to her feet, none too steady. Flint reached out to support her, and she gratefully took his arm. She hated feeling this weak, but felt the anti-toxin she had injected in her system fighting off whatever it was.

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, punched in a code, and set it on the coffee table.

Giving a small smile, she leaned into Flint. "Now we can talk. I'm starting to feel better, believe it or not, but maybe you should call back down and say I've changed my mind, that I'd like to go to the clinic. I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever they're going to throw at me. Either they've caught on to us…which I doubt they'd be this sneaky about….or there's some reason they're keeping me separated from my 'husband.' I'd like to go forward with it."

Flint frowned. "This is risky," he told her.

"Don't worry, I have enough to protect me right now. I also have the comm., as well as the cell, in case of trouble."

She patted his shoulder and went over to the phone and dialed the front desk.

"This is Alison Chevalier, and a man just came up here to escort me to the infirmary. My step-brother told him I did not wish to go, but he was wrong. Could you send him back up please?"

Her voice sounded weak and tired, but when she hung up the phone and spoke next, it was at her normal tone and strength.

"Find Gung Ho. It could be they're just keeping him distracted to get to me, or he could be in trouble. I'll be okay," she assured him, noting his worried look. "I've been through worse, trust me."

She made her way to the bathroom and noticed that her color was coming back in her face. Frowning, she applied some powder and makeup to make dark circles under her eyes to give herself a sicker pallor.

Flint leaned against the doorjam, watching. He had to admit, she did know what she was doing - he would just have to trust her.

There was a knock at the door and Lady Jaye gestured for Flint to answer while she went back to the sofa. She quickly picked up her phone, dialed in another code, and slipped it into her pocket.

The same attendant came in, wheeling in the chair, giving Flint a smirk.

Lady Jaye opened her eyes and looked at the man. "I must apologize for my step-brother. He is a bit overprotective," she said in heavily accented English, adopting a weak tone to her voice. "I am most grateful that the hotel sent you."

After the man helped her in the chair, covering her with a blanket, she turned to Flint. "Please find Ettienne," she pleaded. "Let him know I'm ill. He has not been answering his phone."

Flint nodded, looking concerned, playing his part. "I will," he promised.

He watched as the attendant wheeled her out the door and to the elevator.

The white box lay on the table, forgotten.


	21. Chapter 21

Gung Ho caught the eye of the player across from him, who quickly looked away. What time was it? he wondered. He was having amazing luck at cards, something he normally didn't have. He wondered how long he had been in the room, but they had asked for all cell phones, out of courtesy, be turned off, and there was no clock in the room. It had to be at least an hour or more, he thought.

He wondered if he should somehow try to check in with Lady Jaye. At one point, he had excused himself to go to the bathroom, but they had that covered as well – a private bathroom was located in the corner of the room. He had briefly checked his phone, and saw that he had no service. That's strange, he had thought. Out in the casino, it had been fine. Had the room been created to block out any communication? He'd have to devise another way to contact her.

Returning to the table, he continued to play, hoping Lady Jaye was having better luck with the mission than he was. Right now, he wasn't finding anything out, even in the small talk around the table. One of the brothers was also playing in the game, hosting it, but so far, he had learned nothing. From what he could tell, it had been a normal poker game.

After more time passed, a man came in, whispered to the brother – Xamot, he thought quickly, remembering the man introducing himself as he had joined the game, and Xamot had muttered something back to the man.

Getting up, he addressed the players. "If you gentlemen will excuse me, an issue has arisen that I must deal with. Please, by all means, keep playing. I should return shortly."

After the door shut behind him, the man sitting next to Gung Ho, a New Yorker by his accent, leaned over and muttered to Gung Ho, "I feel like we're trapped in this room. I told my wife I'd only be gone a short time and what's it been, two hours?"

The man across from them nodded. "I tried texting my girl, but there's no signal on my phone. She's going to be pissed I've been gone so long! We have tickets to the concert tonight!"

Gung Ho laid down his cards. "Then maybe we should just end the game then," he told them, getting up. "I want to make sure my wife is staying out of trouble!"

Several of the men chuckled and began to get up as well. One of the cashiers in the room started towards them.

"Sirs," he said, holding up his hand, "I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

Gung Ho was losing patience. "Really? And why is that? This is America, is it not, land of the free? If we want to quit the game, why can't we?" In his frustration, he didn't have to fake his accent.

"Monsieur Chevalier, Mr. Xamot would appreciate you waiting until he returns to cash out. It's the rules, since he is hosting the game."

"I've never heard of something so ridiculous!" spat another man, standing up. "This game is wasting my time! Mr. Xamot probably doesn't want us to go so he can recoup his losses!"

The cashier gestured towards the two men at the door, who placed their hands on their sidearms. "I'm afraid I must insist, and I'd rather not use force, gentlemen," he said to them in a cold voice.

"What is this?" Gung Ho thundered, angry. He didn't care if it was a Cobra casino. He ached to have his gun in his hand, to force his way out the door.

At that moment, Xamot chose to appear again, this time coming in through a side door that blended into the wall.

"What is this? Are we so ready to end the game, gentlemen?" he asked, his tone good-natured, taking in the scene, including the security guards.

"Mr. Xamot, these men would like to end the game, but I told them house rules state that the host must be present to do so, and only with his permission," explained the cashier.

Xamot nodded. Spreading his arms, he gestured at the table. "Well, if our guests would like to quit, that's fine with me. However, house rules state that if the game is terminated early, all winnings go directly to the host…..which is me."

This earned shouts and protests from the men present, but Gung Ho stayed silent. He was just ready to leave. His head hurt, and he wanted to find Lady Jaye and compare notes.

He waved his hand, dismissing the table. "Take it. I'd rather deal with the loss than an angry wife!" he joked.

He walked to the door, but was once again stopped by the security. Frowning, he turned to look at Xamot, who looked pleased.

"Please, I realize our game went on longer than intended, and that you gentlemen would like to return to your women, but before we leave….a drink!"

A waitress appeared with a tray filled with drinks, passing them out to everyone.

Xamot picked his up and held it in the air. "A toast! To a well played, if perhaps too long, game!"

The men nodded, taking a drink. Gung Ho, seeing that Xamot had seemed to take his drink at random from the tray, felt there was no harm in taking a small sip. Surely Cobra had no intention of poisoning the men in the room? What purpose would that serve?

As his vision began to blur, he was grateful he had only taken a small sip. Several of the men were already collapsed on the floor. He felt he should follow suit, seeing that he was being watched, and sunk slowly to the floor, closing his eyes. Damn it! He should've known the sneaky snakes would try something! He'd just have to play along for now and hope Lady Jaye was doing well on her own.


	22. Chapter 22

"Is all going according to plan?" Cobra Commander questioned the Baroness, who was watching the security screens of the casino floor.

She nodded, chuckling. "Oh yes, Commander, everything is going better than planned! Why we hadn't thought of doing this before…." She gestured towards one of the screens. "Look at those fools, pouring good money into the machines. Mindless! It is pure profit for us, and those aren't even the ones we have targeted!"

Using a remote, she flipped to another screen, showing a private room with a game in progress. "The ones we have pinpointed, the millionaires and dignitaries we invited, they have all been suckered into a private game. For some," she shrugged, "if the money is going to the host, then we are doing nothing. If for some reason, it does not go our way...well, we have contingency plans for that as well."

Cobra Commander smiled, rubbing his hands. "Not to mention, no one can interfere with our plans because what we are doing is totally legal!" he cackled.

The Baroness smiled. "Major Bludd and Zartan are amazingly good card players, so we haven't had to handle anything on that end. Not to mention no one can catch them cheating! However, Xamot and Tomax…"she frowned. Using the remote she switched to another screen and saw one game in progress, but when she switched to the other, she saw men lying on the floor.

"Ah, there you go, Commander. Our backup plan. Obviously we had a problem this game, but see how it is being handled!"

The Commander leaned closer. "What are they doing?"

She chuckled. "Well, if we have a….problem….arise during the game, we introduced laced drinks into the equation and cart the men away through the back halls. We have a special holding cell for them. Oh, I'm sorry – infirmary," she said, using air quotes. "If they want back out again, they will have to pay their...bill." She gave an evil smile.

"You see Commander," she continued, "this has all been well planned out by yours truly. I alone deserve the credit, since I have come up with so many contingency plans. For example, the women's infirmary." She clicked on another screen which showed what looked to be a hospital room with 6 beds. "The ladies lying here? We introduced laced drinks into their system through our coffee shop. We targeted them before they came, these wives of the high rollers. To pay for their wives' special care, it will cost quite a bundle!"

The Commander nodded. "And what happens if one of these wives also has a husband in the infirmary, then?"

The Baroness frowned. She hadn't thought that far, but was not about to admit it to the Commander. "We have a plan for that," she lied. "Don't you worry, Commander. Just enjoy the thousands that have been pouring in every hour!" she purred, hoping to distract him with the money.

Of course, it worked. The Commander leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands. "Yesss. You're exactly right. Not even GI Joe can find what we're doing wrong here. In fact, this is a perfect example of American capitalism at its best!" he cackled.

The Baroness smiled, pleased. She turned back to the screens, to let the Commander reflect on her genius. Something caught her eye, and she leaned in closer to see better.

Muttering a swear word, she quickly straightened, making sure the Commander hadn't noticed, but he was lost in his own thoughts. She quickly changed to a view of the entrance – something benign that wouldn't ruffle his feathers.

"I must go play hostess, dear Commander," she purred, making sure to put the remote out of his reach. He didn't need to pick up on anything wrong and ruin his good mood.

Closing the door softly behind her, she turned to the two guards stationed at the entrance. "Be sure that nothing and no one disturbs the Commander! I will have both your heads should something go amiss!" she threatened. They straightened up, nodding. The Baroness in a bad mood was not a good sign, they thought, exchanging glances behind her retreating back.

She made her way through the back hallways until she reached the doorway she was looking for. Speaking into her communicator, it was only a minute or so until Xamot appeared through the doorway.

He raised his eyebrows at her, wondering about her irritated facial expression. Everything had been going like clockwork.

"We have Joes in the building!" she hissed at him.

"Are they here for us, or on vacation?" he asked casually, adopting a neutral but respectful tone. He had seen the woman in a temper before and he didn't care to be the recipient.

"They are not dressed in uniforms, no, but I recognized the one named Shipwreck! Upon closer examination, I recognized two more Joes on the screen…Flint and Roadblock. I cannot think this is a coincidence!"

"Relax, my dear Baroness," Xamot spoke in a soothing voice, massaging her shoulder. "We will take care of everything. You continue to control the Commander. It's not like they can prove we've done anything wrong. We are clearly on the law's side of this one," he smirked. "Even GI Joe can't fight against their own laws!"

"What about the infirmary?" she questioned, still frowning.

Xamot shrugged. "Merely a clinic that we cater to our rich clients, that's all. They can't identify anything other than normal medicines in there, and we have licensed professionals. Granted, they're Cobra-licensed, but licensed none the less," he smiled. "Keep your eye on the Joes, or assign someone to, and if we need to raise the alarm, we will."

Mollified by his explanation, she sighed. This was not an operation she wanted to fail. It meant millions for Cobra and, once they sold the casino, more millions – enough, the brothers had assured them, to support Cobra for several years in whatever they wanted to do! Often, Cobra Commander's schemes were not only insane, but costly. By doing something "normal" as they were now, it would prove to him that he needed to fire that wacko mad scientist of his, Mindbender, and go for a more "respectful" reputation. At least that was the hope of most of the senior Cobra officers.

Xamot entered the private room once again, feeling slightly superior since he had been the one to console the Baroness. Surveying the scene in front of him, he sighed, signaling to those around him to clean up the "mess." Beckoning to one of the attendants, he gave the order to deliver the special white boxes to the rooms of the incapacitated players.


	23. Chapter 23

"So, there's no sign of Gung Ho, Lady Jaye is in the clinic and we're….what exactly are we?" asked Shipwreck, after Flint had summarized the latest events. "So, what do we do now?"

"We wait for a distress beacon from either one, which also serves as a locator, and call in the team," Flint sighed. He didn't like where this operation was going. There were too many "what ifs."

Roadblock glanced over Flint's shoulder and frowned. "Not to alarm both of you, but there seem to be quite a few employees heading our way. I suggest we split up and meet outside."

The other two nodded, and the three scattered.

_In the Infirmary…._

Once in the elevator, Allie had not been surprised to see the man use a key to open the box and press a button. The elevator at once began to move downward, and she watched the numbers pass across the electronic plate. When the man glanced at her, her eyes were closed, her head resting to the side of the chair. He had not spoken to her at all, which was perfectly fine with her. She didn't feel much like small talk right now, and it wouldn't help her pretense of being sick.

He wheeled her out on a darkened floor, with only a few lights shining – a definite change from the rest of the casino – and, once again using a key, opened a door and pushed her into a room that looked much like the clinic back on base.

Allie tried not to flinch. Clinics and hospitals weren't exactly her favorite places and always made her feel claustrophobic. She noted that out of the six beds in the room, three were already occupied. Women, dressed much like her in expensive clothes, lay on the beds, sleeping. Some were covered by blankets, but the hands that draped over the blankets were covered with expensive bracelets and rings. Designer shoes were placed beside beds.

The man wheeled her to an empty bed. Allie opened her eyes, not wanting the man to touch her.

"I can do it," she insisted weakly, and he pulled his hands away, watching her carefully as she slowly sat on the bed, then swung her legs around so she was lying on her side. He covered her with the blanket from the wheelchair, and then wheeled it away, walking quickly out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

From a side room, Allie noted low voices talking. She kept her eyes half closed, studying her surroundings.

The woman next to her turned over so that she was facing Allie's bed. Her eyes were open.

"Did you catch the flu as well? I'm beginning to think we have a case of food poisoning!" the woman whispered to her in a soft southern accent. "They are definitely trying to cover it up! I hadn't even reported being ill before someone was at my door to take me here!"

Allie nodded. "Dizzy and sick to the stomach?" When the woman nodded, Allie knew. They had been poisoned. But why? And why these particular women?

"Alison Chevalier," she introduced herself to the other woman, keeping her accent in play.

"Millie Ashford. You sound French?" At Allie's nod, she smiled. "We're from Atlanta. My husband and myself." She frowned. "I wonder why he hasn't come to check on me? I asked the doctor to notify him."

Allie was about to reply, but the doctor in question came out of the small office in the corner where Allie had heard the voices earlier.

"Madame Chevalier," he said, approaching her bed. "I understand that you are feeling under the weather."

Allie noticed that Millie had closed her eyes, feigning sleep.

She nodded at the doctor's inquiry. "I'm afraid I've become sick to my stomach and have felt very dizzy and weak," she explained.

He nodded. "Yes, I believe you have similar symptoms as some of our other patients right now. I'm hoping we don't have an epidemic on our hands," he said with a bright smile. He looked way too young to be a doctor, Allie thought. Gleaming white teeth, blonde hair, blue eyes….would he truly be the real thing, she questioned, especially working for Cobra? The nurse standing behind him was equally attractive.

The doctor produced a syringe and leaned forward. "This is a flu shot, which we've given the others. It should lessen your symptoms."

Allie flinched. "Please doctor! Before you administer anything, I'd like to see my husband! He already had me take a shot since I am allergic to some of the ingredients in your American version. He can produce my medical history," she lied, not knowing exactly what the syringe contained and not wanting to find out.

The doctor made a tsking sound. "Now, now, my dear. We're all grown ups here, we know that it's only a slight sting and then it goes away. I'd rather have you not exposing these other ladies to what you have."

Allie pulled herself up. The doctor was still pleasantly smiling at her, but the nurse was frowning, and had pulled out a small, threatening looking device.

"I insist on seeing my husband! Please call him right away! I can wear a medical mask if you are worrying about me infecting your other patients! I want my husband NOW!" Allie insisted firmly, her voice rising in hysteria.

The nurse touched the doctor's arm as he was about to reply, showing him the device she had. He read something on the screen, frowned, but his hand lowered with the syringe in it.

Turning again to Allie, he gave another bright smile. "For now, my dear, we will ask you to wear the mask, but I will see about your husband. Please excuse me."

The nurse pulled a mask out of one of the cabinets and all but tossed it to Allie before walking away.

"Good choice, honey!" Millie whispered to her when the two had disappeared out the door. "They gave me that shot and it made me feel worse! Granted, he is something nice to look at, but I'm not overly fond of needles either!"

Allie frowned. "How long have you been in here?"

Millie thought, a frown on her face. "I'm not quite sure, to tell you the truth. I think it was this morning, or early afternoon that I felt ill, then they brought me down here….so most of the day, I think? Funny that George hasn't come to check on me, though."

Allie looked around at the other women, Millie following her thoughts.

"They've been pretty comatose throughout the day," she explained. "That nurse keeps coming and giving them injections - they're pretty out of it. Of course, they may be like me, faking it, so they don't have any more injections. Not sure what's in the stuff, but after they give it to you, you're so tired, I swear you can't even move your arms and legs! It makes you want to just stay in the bed and sleep."

Allie nodded, understanding dawning on her. Cobra was keeping these women drugged for some reason and keeping them against their will. But why? Sure, these women came from affluent means, but was Cobra really holding them for ransom? Why run a legitimate casino, and then resort to kidnapping? There had to be another explanation.

She started to get up, but Millie stopped her. "They lock the door when they go. Trust me, I tried. I'm beginning to think they haven't even talked to George," she said, shaking her head, a tear coursing down her cheek. "He'd be down here by now, trust me."

Allie felt the comm. in her hidden pocket. She wasn't in any immediate danger, and wanted to investigate more about what was going on. She moved her hand away, resting it on the bed - a little longer wouldn't hurt. She'd be interested to know if they really did contact her "husband."

She saw rather than heard the knob turn to the outside door, and followed Millie's example, pretending to sleep. She felt the doctor and nurse approach the bed.

He picked up her hand and felt her pulse. Allie had long ago learned a method to calm her breathing and heart rate, and forced herself to be still.

"She's resting," she heard the doctor report aloud. "We'll let her natural cycle take over before we inject her. Keep an eye on her, though. I couldn't find her medical report in our records, so I'm not sure if she's telling the truth about the allergies." The doctor's voice was hard, unlike the previous pleasant tone he had used.

"What about the others?" asked the nurse.

Allie heard the doctor grunt, then say, "Keep an eye on them as well. We don't want to go overboard and cause a real medical emergency. Our orders are to keep them subdued."

The two moved away and Allie heard the click of the office door as it closed. She opened one eye, and saw Millie do the same.

"Why would they want to keep us subdued? Is this really a kidnapping?" Millie whispered, eyes wide.

"I don't know," Allie answered truthfully. She wiggled a bit and pulled her cell out of its hidden place. Relieved, she saw it had a signal, albeit weak.

Millie gasped in surprise. "Is it working?" she whispered. "I can't get a signal on mine!"

Allie nodded, then put a finger to her lips, moving her head and glancing over at the office. Millie nodded, understanding.

She sent a message to both Flint and Gung Ho. "Trapped in clinic," she typed. "Below first floor. Other drugged victims. No immediate danger but keeping watchful eye."

It was taking forever to send, she noticed with dismay. Glancing back over at the office, not wanting to attract attention with a lot of movement, she hid the phone again. Hopefully the message would send eventually.

Hearing the door open, she closed her eyes and once again feigned sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Flint was worried. He hadn't heard from Gung Ho or Lady Jaye. It had been over an hour since she had been taken to the infirmary. Sighing, he decided it was time to call General Hawk and report what was going on. The three Joes had left the casino to return to the motel room with the rest of their team.

"I trust Lady Jaye's instincts," the General told him. "However, if you don't hear from her in another hour, you might want to go in, but not full force. We're still not sure of any illegal activity, and don't want Cobra getting the upper hand in this. Have you glimpsed any familiar faces?"

"No, sir," Flint answered truthfully. "Of course, they might be keeping a low profile. If we were recognized, we weren't approached, although there was one time when we thought there was going to be a confrontation, but it turned out to be nothing."

"Another hour, then go in, armed, but only as a precaution. Keep me posted."

"Yes, sir," Flint replied.

After hanging up, he looked at his team. "We give them an hour," he told them, "then we go play hide and seek."

The others nodded, silent. There was a tense atmosphere hanging low in the room as the team mentally prepared themselves for what was to come next.

"What was it like?" asked Clutch, finally breaking the silence. "The casino. Did they have statues of snakes everywhere?"

Shipwreck chuckled. "Not quite, although I saw some in the gift shop! I fully expected Cobra Commander to have a big statue in the middle, but," he shrugged, "guess it's on back order."

The others chuckled. "The machines aren't that lucky, either," continued Shipwreck. "Cobra's making a fortune by all those dummies who keep playing, even if they're not winning!"

"I can't see them staying in business too long, then," commented Roadblock. "Then again, maybe this isn't a permanent thing for them."

"So, is it all legit then? I mean, other than our guys missing," asked Footloose.

Flint frowned. "Not sure. So far, we haven't found any evidence. Well, Lady Jaye did comment on something," he chuckled. "She said one of the shops carried designs by some guy who had a shipment stolen and she thought they were selling the stolen merchandise. Something about him being exclusive about where his clothes were sold. She wasn't sure, though."

"Sounds pretty typical for Cobra," commented Clutch. "Figures they couldn't order their own stuff."

They fell silent again. Finally, Clutch switched on the TV, just for some noise.

Flint sat on one of the chairs, thinking. He checked his cell every few minutes, hoping something was going to come through.

When it finally did vibrate, he jumped up. The rest looked at him wordlessly.

He read the message quickly and relayed it to the rest.

"Lady Jaye says she's okay. She's in the infirmary, but so are several other women. Apparently, they're being kept there, drugged. She says she's fine for now, but wants to stay and check it out a little more."

The men looked to Flint, who sighed.

"Yeah, I'm not too happy about it, either. We still haven't heard from Gung Ho." He glanced at his watch. "I'll give him another 10 minutes before we mobilize."


	25. Chapter 25

Gung Ho woke up with an aching head. The last thing he remembered was faking unconsciousness in the game room. He gave a soft groan. Somehow, he had lost actual consciousness.

He seemed to be laying on a cot – a very uncomfortable one, as he felt one of the bars poking into his side. Shifting, he glanced around, eyes wide in the darkness. He seemed to be in a small room, almost like a cell. There was a glow coming from the space under the door, the only light in the room. No window. He also seemed to be alone, he thought, frowning. Had his cover been blown?

He heard the door open and squinted against the bright light.

"Ah, Monsieur Chevalier, I see you have awoken."

Xamot stood in the doorway, a smile on his face.

"I have to apologize for your accommodations. Our infirmary is full at the present time with an illness we hadn't anticipated. If you had come a month later, this," he said, gesturing around him, "would look so much nicer!"

"Where exactly am I and what happened?" asked Gung Ho, rubbing the back of his head.

"You passed out during the card game and hit your head rather hard, I'm afraid. Our resident doctor advised that you rest and we see how you feel when you wake up. We thought you wouldn't want the inconvenience of a hospital visit."

Gung Ho frowned. "If I was injured, have you notified my wife?" he asked, wondering where Lady Jaye was at the present moment. He reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, but found it was gone.

"Ah, I'm afraid we had to remove any electronic devices from you, in case we needed to use the defibrillator. Don't worry – it's in a safe place with the rest of your valuables," Xamot said in a reassuring tone. "As for your wife, I'm afraid I have bad news."

Gung Ho narrowed his eyes and got up, making his way over to Xamot.

"**What** about my wife?" he growled, ready to strangle the smile out of the man.

"I'm afraid we've had a bit of an epidemic, and she's under quarantine. Don't worry – she is safe and under the care of our resident doctor. That is why, I apologize again, for the poor accommodations. We cannot have you exposed," he explained calmly, standing his ground.

Crossing his arms, he stared at the man. "I'd like to see my wife," he said again, using a slow but forceful tone. God knows what they could have done to Lady Jaye! "If I can't do that, then I demand my phone so I can at least communicate with her." He held his hand out.

Xamot nodded his head. "I'll see that it gets returned to you. It's in the vault right now, for safekeeping, so it'll take a few moments. Until then," he gestured towards the cot, "the doctor advised that you get some rest."

As Xamot started to close the door again, Gung Ho pushed his hand against it. "Wait a moment. If I'm supposed to get rest, why am I here, in this cell, and not upstairs in my own room?"

Xamot looked startled for a moment, but then his face smoothed into his usual genial smile. "It's so the doctor can see you easier. You are not too far from the infirmary, and it's easier for him to check up on your care."

"Then I demand the door be kept open, then. Unless….you are trying to hold me prisoner?"

"Ah, no," chuckled Xamot nervously, "I'm not sure why you would think that, Monsieur. By all means…I just didn't want you disturbed since you are in a busy part of the building, with our employees and such."

"That's fine," growled Gung Ho. "I'd rather not feel closed in."

Xamot bowed. "As you wish," he said, then backed out of the room.

Walking down the hallway, he allowed himself to roll his eyes. Idiot, he thought snidely, why do you think we have you in this room? Of course you're our prisoner! If you want your freedom…yours and your pretty little wife, then you will pay dearly!

He paused outside a door and took out a key. Unlocking the door, he entered the room and noted the women within seemed to be resting. Good. He glanced over at the small office in the corner, but saw the doctor was typing something on the computer within. The nurse, however, who had been sitting in the corner of the room, sauntered over to him, giving him a welcoming smile.

"Mr. Xamot," she cooed, "it's so nice of you to drop in!" She let a finger trail down his arm suggestively.

He gave her a smile. "Nurse Carrie, so nice to see you again. I take it that our patients are doing well?"

"Of course!" she simpered. "I doubt they'd put up a fight anyway, so used to having things done for them," she said bitterly. "Unlike myself," she said, returning to her breathy tone, pressing up against him. "I like to….work….for my pleasures."

Xamot allowed himself a brief fantasy, then gently pushed the woman away. "Tonight, my dear, we'll have to explore that further. I have to report to the Commander. You're sure they're all sedated? We wouldn't want any mistakes."

She was all business. "Yes, sir, they're out like a light and the drug keeps them from completely coming to, just like you ordered. The doctor is typing up the…bills…as we speak," she said, glancing over at the office.

Xamot nodded, picked up her hand and kissed it, with a promise of more to come, then left the way he came.

Bored, Carrie went to the office where Jim was typing. "How much longer do I have to babysit?" she complained, watching his back tense with her question. "These ladies aren't going anywhere. I'd like to go and get ready for my date tonight!"

Jim sighed. He really was a licensed doctor, but just hadn't finished his last year of residency. Stupid ethical laws, he grumbled to himself. Without turning around, he waved his hand, which Carrie took as a sign that she could leave. He heard the door shut firmly behind her.

Getting up, he personally checked on the women. Just to make sure, he picked up several arms, watching them drop limply on the bed. Carrie was right. There was no way these women were going to come to before the morning. He might as well pack it in for the night. He could come and check on them later. Meanwhile, he'd post a guard at the door, just in case. He didn't want to anger the Commander. He had promised Jim that, if some of the husbands couldn't pay for their wives care, that he could have a few of them to experiment with. Jim smiled. He wished he could pick which ones. He liked the woman with the red highlights. That, and the blonde southern one next to her. Whistling, he gathered up his things, shut down his computer, and called for a guard. Yes, he definitely had plans for the two of them. Maybe he'd just tell the Commander they didn't make it, and take them himself and hide them away. He pondered the possibilities as he walked out the door, carefully locking it behind him.


	26. Chapter 26

Allie heard the door shut, the lock clicking in place.

Sitting up, she pulled out her cell phone, looking for any answering message. None. She frowned. It had sent, she saw that. Why hadn't Flint at least answered her?

Millie watched her. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not staying in here any longer. I think I'm going to go get help," she told the blonde, not wanting to give away her cover. "You should stay here, take care of the other women, just in case."

Millie nodded, but wasn't happy. "It makes sense, but I miss George." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't think they told him anything. I feel like a prisoner!"

Allie went over to the woman's bed, finding she was still a little unsteady on her feet after laying down for so long. That, and she unfortunately had one of the injections in her system. The anti-toxin she had taken earlier helped reduce the effects, but she still didn't feel 100%.

She gave Millie a hug. "Stay here. I promise, I'll come back with help!"

"You be careful, then," Millie told her sternly.

Allie smiled. "I know how to handle myself, don't worry."

She pulled a piece of metal from her hidden pocket to pick the lock. She had been itching to do this all day, but hadn't had a chance until now. First, though, she was going to check out the office….especially the doctor's computer.

She hacked into his sytem easily enough. The idiot hadn't even set a password! She rolled her eyes. If he was that egotistical, she should be able to read his plans easily enough.

She scrolled through the file marked "Bills," seeing a template for the "care" the women had been receiving. According to this, the patients' bills would be in the thousands.

She came across another file, but quickly closed it when she saw the photographs. This doctor, as innocent and handsome as he looked, was, in essence, a pervert. No wonder he worked for Cobra! So far, he hadn't done anything with the women, other than drug them, but then again, this was only the first day.

She closed his computer, shutting it down. Reaching for her phone, she texted a quick message to Flint, telling him to meet her in the room. If she wasn't there, she added, he needed to call the cavalry!

Gently trying the door, in case there was a guard posted outside, she verified that it was locked. She took out her tool and quickly popped it open.

The guard outside was leaning against the door, playing a game on a mobile device. She quickly took care of him, finding a nearby janitor's closet to store his unconscious body in.

She tried to get her bearings quickly. So far, no one was walking down the corridor, which was dimly lit. Allie guessed everyone was busy elsewhere, and slowly made her way down the hall, ready to play the lost damsel in distress should someone come across her.

She paused outside an open doorway. Glancing in, she was surprised to see Gung Ho sitting on a cot.

"Ettienne?" she called softly. He quickly looked up, stifling an exclamation.

"Alison? What are you doing here? Xamot's going to be back at any moment!"

"I doubt it," she said, glancing down the hallway, "but I don't want to find out. Let's get going!"

"He has my phone," Gung Ho apologized.

"We'll compare notes later," Allie told him impatiently. "Right now, we need to get to the room. I told Flint we'd meet him there."

"The room? Isn't that throwing us into the fire?"

She sighed. "I wasn't sure where else to go. I didn't expect to find you down here, a willing prisoner!" she snapped.

She immediately apologized. "Sorry. It's been a long day. Being drugged always makes me grumpy."

She heard footsteps and muttered a curse. There was nowhere to hide in Gung Ho's cell. Grabbing his arm, she dragged him in the opposite direction of the approaching person, flying past the infirmary's door.

She glanced around for stairs. She felt safer with stairs, more secure. You could be trapped too easily in an elevator. Finally, she found a set and ducked inside, pulling Gung Ho with her, making sure the door closed softly behind them.

Without speaking, the two made their way up several flights until they reached the floor with their room.

Allie paused. "Do you still have your room card?" she asked Gung Ho.

He smiled grimly. "It was the one thing they didn't take from me," he muttered, producing it out of his pocket.

She nodded, understanding. They glanced around before exiting the stairwell, to make sure it was safe.

Quickly, they made their way to the room, sliding the card in the lock, which opened easily.

Shutting the door firmly behind them, she sighed, leaning against the door, looking over at Gung Ho, who was doing the same.

"I made a promise to a friend I need to keep," she told him. "Long story short – there are a group of drugged women down in that place they call an infirmary at the mercy of a deranged doctor. We need to get help here fast!"

"Did someone call the cavalry?" asked a voice from the darkness, and Allie was relieved to recognize the voice.

"Shipwreck!" she cried.

Flipping on the light, she saw him standing in her room, smiling. "Flint gave me a card," he explained, holding it up in his hand. "You okay? You both don't look too good."

In answer to Allie's confused look, he stated, "The rest of the team is ready…we just thought too many in your room would cause too much suspicion. Flint's waiting for your signal."

"Where is he now?"

"We have a place not too far from here."

Allie nodded, then looked at Gung Ho, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"We need to go there. This is a bit bigger than we originally thought."

Shipwreck frowned. "Not exactly the orders I was given, but," he smiled, "since when do I **not** buck orders?"


	27. Chapter 27

She had grabbed some items and thrown them in a bag before they left. The rest, she didn't care if it was left. The laptop, electronic devices, weapons, and essentials for her covert operations had been hastily packed, along with her uniform.

The three had entered the motel room where the rest of the Joes were waiting after Shipwreck had begun a complicated series of knocks on the door. In the middle of it, the door had been yanked open, a disgusted looking Clutch standing there, ushering them in.

"I figure it had to be Shipwreck," he muttered to no one in particular. "The only one I've ever known to cause a headache by something as simple as knocking on the door."

Shipwreck beamed at his teammate. "Always happy to oblige," he told him cheerfully.

Lady Jaye ignored the two and found a space to set up her laptop. "I have schematics on the casino, as well as a tap into their security system. I need to show you a few things before we formulate a plan."

The others stared at her, and she realized she must look strange to the men who had only seen her in her drab, shapeless uniform with her mousy brown hair. Sighing, she snapped her fingers.

"Hello? There's a time crunch here!"

Rolling her eyes, she booted up her computer and beckoned to Flint. "Let me enter in the password and pull up the security feed for you to look at while I change."

She leaned over to type, not realizing she was giving the team a nice view from behind, and her blouse gaping open invitingly in the front. Straightening up, she quickly told Flint how to scroll through the footage.

"What am I looking for?" he asked her, a bit confused.

She tried not to sigh, she really did. "Just keep an eye on things. I'll be right back." She grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind her. She needed to reestablish her own identity before engaging Cobra. Not only would it keep her cover, but it helped her mentally. She needed to shed the upper class Frenchwoman physically to get herself back into form, ready to engage the enemy on her own turf, so to speak.

Shipwreck nudged Footloose, speaking in a low tone. "I have to admit, she took me a bit by surprise, too. I didn't realize she had **that** kind of body underneath that uniform!"

Footloose chuckled, but caught a glare from both Flint and Gung Ho. He immediately sobered up.

"Nice threads. I almost didn't recognize you!" joked Clutch to Gung Ho, giving him a slap on the back. "How was it living the nice life?"

Gung Ho smiled. "Not too bad. I had a good partner, though," he said, nodding his head towards to the closed bathroom door. "She really knows her stuff," he said in a soft voice filled with admiration.

"Dude, is that a manicure?" asked Footloose, looking closer at Gung Ho's nails as the man changed into his uniform. He quickly put them behind his back, muttering something. He knew he would get more grief from the guys once the mission was over, between his appearance…and working with Allie. He finished changing, and Clutch handed him his weapon.

"Ah, it feels good to have my baby back," he said, closing his eyes and lovingly stroking his gun. Opening his eyes, he glanced at his chuckling teammates. "What?" he asked, genuinely confused.

At that moment, Lady Jaye opened the door from the bathroom, making a beeline for the laptop. She was dressed in her GI Joe uniform of brown pants and an army green shirt. Her hair was damp and had returned to its mousy brown color, her face clear of makeup.

Shipwreck shook his head. He thought he knew why she kept herself the "plain Jane" image. She saw herself as one of the guys if she didn't draw too much attention to herself as an attractive woman. Too late, he smiled to himself. He had seen what she was always hiding underneath that blah exterior. His imagination could fill in the blanks when needed, he smirked.

She was all business, though. Pulling up a blueprint of the casino, she pointed out the basement to the assembled group.

"This is where they're holding the women hostage. And in this area," she circled another area, using a special pen on her screen," is where I found Gung Ho. There might be other possible male hostages as well. It seems Cobra is holding out for ransom, only wrapping it in a prettier package by calling it something else," she stated in a snide tone.

With a push of a button, she pulled the view back and showed the entire blueprint of the casino. "I believe our best bet is to go in through the kitchens. At this time, they're near empty, other than the quick service, which is located on the other side, here," she said, indicating an area with her finger. "Through the kitchens, we can access the basement and the service elevator."

"And while we're doing this, where are the Cobra head honchos?" asked Clutch. "Aren't we there to get them, too?"

"Right now," Flint spoke up, "we need to focus on the hostage situation. Once we engage, I'm sure they'll show up to the fight."

"Yeah, until we kick their ass, and then they'll go hide under the rock they slithered out of," chuckled Footloose.

Flint gave a small smile. "Well, there is that."

Lady Jaye switched back to the security feed. "Last I checked, four major players were in the private games, hosting them – Major Bludd, one I believe to be Zartan, Xamot, and Tomax. No sign of the Baroness, Destro, or the Commander, but I can see them up in the penthouse, running the show. They'll be the first ones to slither out," she said, with a smile at Footloose. "The others are subject to the grunt work."

Flint looked thoughtful. "What makes you think it's Zartan?"

She looked at him, surprised. "The other key players are there, so it makes sense. No, I haven't seen sign of his gang, the Drednoks, but he sometimes works without them. I can also see him not trusting them in a casino where they're trying to attract high end clientele. Why else would they assign an officer to each game, and then invite either a soldier or stranger to host?"

The others nodded, agreeing.

They briefly discussed the plan, making changes as needed, then prepared to go.

Lady Jaye tucked a handgun into her holster, briefly missing her javelins. However, in this mission, they would have been in the way. She did have a few toys, just in case, though, she thought with a smile, patting one of the pockets in her cargo pants.

She glanced at her watch. It had been a little over 90 minutes since she'd left the infirmary. It seemed like so much longer ago. Unreal. She shook her head, mentally focusing her mind on the goal. She had made a promise and she meant to keep it.


	28. Chapter 28

While a casino was run 24 hours a day, there actually was a time of day that was considered "down time" in certain parts of the casino. Late at night, that would be the kitchen.

While the guys stayed silent while Lady Jaye picked the lock to get them in, once inside, Shipwreck sidled up to her, commenting "I like a gal who can take care of herself. What other tools do you carry in there?" he asked flirtatiously, gesturing towards her pockets.

"Enough, Shipwreck," muttered Flint, who was standing close enough to hear the comment. To his surprise, it earned him a glare from Lady Jaye.

"I can take care of myself, thanks," she snapped at him, annoyed that he felt the need to defend her. In actuality, she didn't mind Shipwreck's flirtations, knowing they were harmless. Unlike Flint's. His hit too close to home sometimes, and she'd rather not get involved with anyone right now.

Gung Ho felt the need to apologize for her. It was a good thing she didn't overhear him mutter to Flint, "She's just under a lot of stress," or she would have given him a look as well.

Luckily, they got to the service elevator unnoticed, and pressed the button for the lower floor. Lady Jaye used her device to scramble the security camera so they could proceed without Cobra's knowledge – at least for a little while.

The doors opened to the lower level, and the group, pressed against the sides of the elevator, quickly scanned the area. Empty. The hallway was dimly lit and no one seemed to be about, not even a guard. The group was both relieved and suspicious. If Cobra was holding hostages down here, why weren't they being guarded?

Silently, Lady Jaye gestured for the rest to follow as she led the way to the infirmary's door. She carefully tried the handle. Locked. She glanced over at the storage closet where she had left the guard. Surely he wasn't still there? She was tempted to look, but didn't want to take the time.

Instead, she quickly picked the lock, slowly opening the door and scanning the room, the rest of the team watching her back.

The beds were empty. She whispered a small curse. Where the hell where they?

She glanced back at the team, silently wondering if it was a trap, or if Cobra had cleared out. Opening the door a little wider, she glanced over to where the doctor had his office. The small room was dark.

She turned to the team. "They're gone," she said in a quiet tone. "Let me check things out, just in case it's a trap. They might have left something behind."

Flint, being the leader of the extraction team, nodded his assent. She turned to go, but stopped, looking back. She gestured towards the storage closet.

"I put the guard in there, earlier. You might want to check to see if he's still there. That might answer at least one of our questions."

She turned and made her way to the doctor's office. The room was bare – no laptop, medical equipment, nothing. She repressed a sigh.

The only sign the infirmary had been here were the empty beds.

Lady Jaye rejoined the team, shaking her head. Flint looked solemn.

"The closet's empty. We need to get out of here."

They heard the service elevator ding and froze, knowing they were sitting ducks.

Lady Jaye let out another curse, her mind working quickly.

"This way!" she told the team, remembering another exit from the blueprints. The guys weren't going to like it, but at this point, beggars couldn't be choosers, she thought.

She counted the doors as they ran. Hoping she was right, she opened the door and pushed the team in, hearing the pounding of feet behind them, knowing they had been compromised.

She closed the door and found Clutch at her back.

"A little present," he grinned, holding a device he quickly attached to the door. "They try the handle, they'll get one hell of a shock! It should buy us some time."

"Good thinking!" she told him, smiling back at him. They were in another supply closet, and there was little breathing space. Lady Jaye found herself pressed up against Flint when she turned around.

"The vent," she told them, pointing up.

"Don't know if I'm gonna fit up there," muttered Gung Ho.

"I don't think you have a choice, big guy!" Shipwreck told him. "Give me a boost!"

Popping open the top, Shipwreck slithered through. He poked his head back out. "I hope you know where this goes!" he told Lady Jaye.

"Just get going!" Flint thundered, grabbing Lady Jaye's waist and helping her up. She grabbed onto Shipwreck's hands, pulling herself up. The others followed suit, with Flint being the last one in. He replaced the cover as the group started hearing gunshots.

Shipwreck smiled at Lady Jaye. "After you," he said, gesturing to the vent ahead. The group would have to crawl in the narrow passageway.

He had to admit, he liked the view, Shipwreck thought as they crawled along. He was smart enough not to say it aloud, although he was sure the others would agree with him.

Remembering the labyrinth of vent work, she was able to direct them the right way.

They smelled it before they got there.

"Ugh. Do I want to know what that is?" groaned Gung Ho.

"Sorry. I couldn't think of any other way to get out of there."

"I think I would've rather stood our ground and fought," muttered Clutch.

"Yeah, right, you've been in worse!" softly chuckled Shipwreck. "Think of it as the less glamorous side of the casino life!"

Flint was the only one who remained silent. He had to agree with Clutch – he'd rather have stood and fought, but because they didn't know what they would have been facing, a hasty retreat had been the most strategic move, he knew. Still, he wasn't look forward to climbing out from a dumpster.

Gung Ho sniffed. "Hey Clutch, this smells like your last date," he joked.

"Very funny," muttered Clutch, managing to kick back a little.

Lady Jaye stopped. "We could go back…."

"No," came Flint's quiet reply. "We move on, regardless."

She had reached the end of the tunnel, seeing the alleyway outside the casino. The dumpster smell was stronger, and they covered their noses, but it was no help.

"I don't even think an ambush COULD wait for us out here," gasped Gung Ho. Lady Jaye checked the alleyway, what could she see of it, anyway.

"That's just the smell of Jersey," joked Clutch.

Lady Jaye glanced back at Flint, who nodded at her. At his signal, she kicked open the vent with her feet.

When nothing happened – no gun shots or voice commanding them to stay, she swung her legs over the edge and glanced down. She focused her mind off the rancid smell and judged the distance between the vent and the edge of the dumpster. Briefly, her mind wandered to one of her javelins which would have come in really handy at this point, but she dismissed it. No use dwelling on something that's not going to help, she thought.

"No one has any rope, do they?" she asked quietly. They all shook their heads no, their silhouettes barely visible in the darkness.

"I'll go and see if I can find anything…" she began, but Flint interrupted.

"We can just do it. No use dwelling in the spot any longer than we have to."

The others nodded in agreement. She shrugged in response, looked out again, once again judging the distance, then launched herself off the edge.

Luckily, she managed to clear the dumpster, but landed hard on one ankle, losing her balance and rolling on the hard asphalt. She stifled a curse. Getting up, she dusted herself off, wincing slightly at the pain in her ankle.

The others followed suit. Each managed to clear the dumpster, something, Shipwreck commented, they should get a medal for, having to put up with the smell.

They quickly traveled down the alley, finding themselves out on the boardwalk.

"Now what?" Flint asked her quietly.

She glanced at him, not answering. He could tell she was upset, but was doing a good job hiding it. He doubted any of the others noticed it, but he had watched her so closely the last couple weeks, he felt he knew a lot of her mannerisms. Right now, she was biting her lower lip, which meant she was upset.

"Let's get to the beach and regroup," she answered, glancing at the others, "since we've had a wrench thrown in the works."

She stared out at the ocean, the other Joes sitting around her. She felt horrible. Here she had promised Millie she would take care of everything, but she was too late.

"Well, now, what's wrong with the frontal assault, then?" asked Clutch. "No offense, Jaye, but the covert thing wasn't quite working out with us."

She nodded, understanding. She looked to Flint, to see what he was thinking.

"I'm not sure we're equipped for a frontal, and there are a lot of civilians," he began thoughtfully. "However," he glanced at Lady Jaye, "if we could make it up to their offices….granted, that's where we'll find most of the guards, maybe we could find out a few things…."

She nodded, biting her lip. She reached into one of her pockets and pulled out what looked to be a large cell phone, but was actually a small computer her cousin had given her when he had brought the plane. It didn't have a long battery life – that, Ian had told her, was one of its flaws he was working on – but she had the beta, and he would replace it with his perfected one as soon as it was available, she knew.

She hacked back into the security system, having downloaded from her laptop and transferring it to the small device.

She scrolled through several areas, flinching when she saw the empty infirmary in her perusal. There was no sign of the women. Had they been returned to their husbands, or had Cobra done something else? Had that immoral doctor gotten hold of them?

She finally reached the executive floors, and the others crowded around her, studying it.

Flint nodded. "Nice," he commented, then said, "I think we have our answer then. We don't want any confrontation on the game floor, but it seems only Cobra agents are in the executive suites, so no problems there."

He quickly relayed the plan to Hawk using his comm. There was a pause, and then Hawk reluctantly gave his approval. He wanted the team to wait for additional backup, but again, understood the need for a small team to have as little civilian confrontation as possible.

With her frustration level on the rise, her anger grew. Lady Jaye was ready for a fight. She was glad when Hawk gave the go-ahead, and rose with the rest of the group after Flint had finalized their plan.

She had to admit, it was satisfying to get physical with several of the Cobra guards as they made their way to the executive suite. She could tell the others felt the same way by their cheerful comments as they knocked out another set of guards.

Finally, they stood between two double doors that they knew held the Cobra officials. Since they had dispatched the guards quick enough, there had been no alarm raised, so the team was pretty confident of what they would find behind the doors.

At a nod, Gung Ho kicked open the doors, and the team rushed in.


	29. Chapter 29

Lady Jaye cursed softly in Gaelic. The team was standing face to face with the last person she expected to see at the casino. At the very least, her intel had stated he wasn't involved this time.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" asked Destro, pointing a gun right back at the team. "Did you think I wouldn't notice you on your way up here?"

They heard a soft laugh behind them, and the Baroness entered, also holding a gun to the team.

"Did you get me a present, Destro? And it's not even my birthday," she purred.

Destro spotted Lady Jaye at the rear of the group, cursed, and the hand holding his weapon slightly wavered. Allie took advantage of the situation, and kicked out, sending the Baroness' gun in the air as the woman looked at her counterpart in confusion. Chaos reigned as each side fought for control.

"Enough!" roared a voice, making everyone pause.

A man stood in the doorway, holding a gun to the Baroness' head.

A shadow moved behind him, cuffing the woman's hands behind her back. Lady Jaye gasped as Millie moved into the light.

"Sorry," she apologized to Lady Jaye. "I couldn't tell you who I really was."

"I'm just glad you're okay," managed Allie, shocked.

Millie smiled. "I have to admit, you made our job easier, clearing the way, so to speak. Your boys leave quite a trail."

Lady Jaye blushed at the term "your boys," and couldn't meet Flint's eyes. It wasn't her team, so to speak, but Millie assumed she was in charge.

"Not quite so fast, Destro," growled Flint, pointing a gun at the masked man, who was attempting to slip out a side door in all the confusion. "You'll drop your weapon now."

Flicking a glance at Lady Jaye, Destro slowly shook his head and laughed. "I still have access to some of the toys," he said, seemingly to no one in particular, but she knew his words were directed at her.

She started forward, not sure what to expect, but Destro managed to push a button on his glove and smoke poured out, clouding their vision. She tried to work her way through it, coughing, eyes streaming, but it was too late.

He was gone.

She cursed a blue streak, her voice cracking with the smoke.

Millie chuckled, patting her on the back. "I have to admit, it sounds pretty, but I'm not sure if I want the translation," she said, her southern drawl pronounced with her wry tone.

Lady Jaye shook her head. "It's the one snake I'd like to see put away," she replied bitterly.

Millie smiled. "I'm not going to ask why, but I understand." She tilted her head, studying her. "I know you from somewhere…before the casino…I couldn't place it before, in the infirmary, but…were you MI-6 at one time?"

She nodded. "At one time, yes. Which organization are you with again?"

"My partner and I are a shoot-off from the CIA. Afraid I can't tell you more than that," she apologized. "We're good guys, though."

"The women?"

Millie nodded. "Safe. The other part of our team is taking care of that. George and I were sent in as covers, much like you and your guy. The doctor, unfortunately, got away," she sighed.

The two watched as the Baroness was led away, stubbornly silent, by Flint, Clutch, and George.

Millie turned her attention back to Lady Jaye. "I was on a training assignment with MI-6 years ago," she explained. "We never worked together, but I remember seeing you there, with your partner. You had just gotten back from some mission, and we were hearing how you two were the best there was," she smiled.

Lady Jaye stiffened, glancing at her remaining teammates. "That's ancient history. My time with them is over."

Millie nodded. "I heard MI-6 was engaging in some risky practices, that several people bailed. I don't blame you."

She sighed, glancing at the doorway where her partner had disappeared. "We didn't manage to get the others involved, but at least one of the Cobra officers isn't too bad." She stuck out her hand. "Thanks for the help. Even though we didn't know we were working together," she chuckled. "We should've known you Joes would've been involved, with it being Cobra, but hey," she shrugged, "we gotta follow orders."

She paused. "I hope we get to work together again."

Lady Jaye smiled. "Me too. Take care, Millie."

"You, too, Alison."

Shipwreck walked over to Lady Jaye and put his hand on her shoulder, as she watched Millie follow her partner's path out the door. "Hmm. So we were working with the CIA then? Trust those sneaky bastards to not tell us they're involved!"

"They weren't so bad, for CIA," joked Gung Ho, joining them. "At least she seemed to have some sort of personality, if not a thing for Lady Jaye."

Her eyebrows rose. "A thing?"

Gung Ho actually blushed. "Not that kind of thing! I meant a friend thing. Oh hell," he muttered. "Let me shut up before my other foot ends up in my mouth!"

She leaned over and gave Gung Ho a hug. "It's okay, big guy," she told him. "I know what you mean."

"Um, don't leave me out! I helped, too, remember?" joked Shipwreck, holding his arms open.

Lady Jaye laughed. "Nah, you'll be too busy feeling me up. I know your type!"

He tried to look offended.

Flint walked back into the room to the sound of Lady Jaye's laugh. He wondered what the three had been up to. Clutch followed him, taking in the scene.

"So, the CIA, or whatever the hell it is, are taking the job of transporting and processing the Baroness, so we can go home now, right?" Clutch asked, his tone reflecting his disgust.

Flint nodded. "They're closing down the casino for now, claiming it as government property."

Shipwreck looked excited for a moment. "No chance we could take a slot or two back, being government property and all now?"

Gung Ho chuckled. "Nice try, sailor, but doubt it."

Flint looked questioningly at Lady Jaye. She looked upset again. He wondered if it had anything to do with her reaction to Destro – or rather, his reaction to her. As soon as he had seen her, he had acted shocked. What was that about? He knew Hawk wouldn't tell him. He had already tried to question him about it.

Flint's team headed back to base after dropping Gung Ho and Lady Jaye at the private airstrip with their plane.

"Are you okay?" Gung Ho asked her as they took off, wondering about her conversation with Millie.

She gave him a quick look, and nodded her head. "Yeah. Just got lost in the past for a moment," she replied vaguely, knowing instinctively what he was referring to.

"So, you had a partner?" he asked, knowing he was treading into dangerous waters.

"I had one, yes. He doesn't exist anymore," she answered. "Sorry, but I'm a bit tired. I'm going to try to get some shut eye before we land. Do you mind taking over?"

Gung Ho smiled. "Not a problem. I've been wanting to get my hands on these controls!" he joked, although he was worried about his friend.

She smiled, then switched seats with him, leaning her head back on the passenger seat, closing her eyes.

She liked Gung Ho, she truly did, but she wasn't ready to discuss her past with him.


	30. Chapter 30

"So what do you think of Lady Jaye?" asked Shipwreck to Clutch. "Pretty hot, huh?"

Clutch smiled. "She has potential, yeah. I don't think you want to be discussing her too much, though," he warned.

"Why not? She's not seeing anyone that I know of."

Clutch cleared his throat and gestured to the front of the vehicle, where Flint was driving. Fortunately, they were in a standard army truck, riding in the back, and he couldn't hear them.

Shipwreck looked confused.

"Have you been blind then? You can't tell Flint's got a thing for her? You really want to go up against a CO?"

"Hell, half of the Joes have a thing for her, but they didn't get to see what we did!" Shipwreck chuckled. "I think I'm in love!"

"Well, stuff it, 'cause if Flint hears you, he's liable to put you on KP for a week! I'd set my sights elsewhere, man," Clutch warned him, taking his gun apart and reassembling it, bored already with the ride and the company. Just put me back in my garage, he thought. Get me away from these crazy people. Drive all the way here, just so the damn CIA-whatever can swoop in and take the prize! Forget that!

Shipwreck just grinned at him. "Well, she doesn't seem too interested in him, so maybe I have a chance. She's a lot nicer to me than him! I **have** seen things, and she gives him the cold shoulder."

Clutch sighed. "Look," he said, glancing once more to the front of the vehicle, knowing between the road noise and their location, they wouldn't be overheard, "think about it. She's friendly with most of the Joes. She covers up that body of hers for a reason. Around Flint, she's different. Women confuse the hell out of me, but there is one thing I know. When they treat another guy differently, there's a reason. I'm guessing it's because she's interested, but she doesn't want to be."

He shrugged, clicking the last piece into place. "Set your sights elsewhere, sailor," he told Shipwreck. "That one could have pretty much any guy she wants with a crook of her finger, especially as female-starved as we are on base. She ain't been beckoning for a reason."

Shipwreck smiled. "I'm just messing with you. She's a hot number but a little too high maintenance for me. Doesn't mean I can't have some fun, though," he grinned.

Clutch groaned. "Be my guest, but don't drag me into it!"

Flint couldn't get his mind off of trying to connect Lady Jaye with Destro. Knowing she had family connections in Scotland, and that Destro was reportedly Scottish could have something to do with it. Hawk had once let it slip that she worked with a partner at MI-6 who had been invited to join GI Joe, but hadn't. Were the two of them…? No, he thought quickly, that's not the connection. It's something on a more personal level. Whatever it is, Hawk isn't thinking it's affecting her, but Flint saw her hesitation today. She couldn't avoid engagement with Destro forever. She'd have to face him, and be prepared for when she did.

He had to admit though, without Destro's slip up today, they may not have had a chance like they did. It had caught the Baroness unaware as well. Then again, the CIA team hadn't hurt, either. Hawk had been upset when Flint had reported that to him, actually ranting aloud about the lack of communication between government agencies.

Flint was determined to find out, if only to satisfy his own curiosity, what the connection was between his teammate and the Cobra second-in-command. Now that it was revealed that Lady Jaye was part of GI Joe, how would that affect the snake's attitude?


	31. Chapter 31

Hawk remained silent while the team briefed him on the mission. The only emotion he showed was the periodic tightening of his clasped hands that were resting on his desk.

After the last Joe had made his report, Hawk spoke.

He turned to Lady Jaye. "How do you feel this mission went?"

Her face showed no emotion. "Sir. We accomplished our mission goal, which was to figure out what Cobra was up to. It was supposed to be non-engagement unless we were forced into a situation, which I believe we were." She glanced at the other people in the room, who nodded their head in agreement.

She continued. "While we did have unintended help, together we manages to capture one of the higher ranked Cobra officers and from what I understand, they were able to gleam some information from her. Millie, the woman I briefly worked with, has already contacted me about it, and more information should be forthcoming. Another plus," she shrugged, "is we have at least one ally in CIA, or whatever the offshoot they're in."

Hawk nodded, then turned to Gung Ho. "How do you feel things went?"

The former Marine looked thoughtful. "While it didn't quite go the way we planned, I think in the end, it worked out, and like Allie said, we accomplished our goal."

"And how did you feel about your part?"

Gung Ho chuckled. "I have to admit, it was different. Not used to the sneaking around part, being in costume, but," he smiled at Lady Jaye, "I enjoyed working with my partner. She knows a whole lot about this stuff and taught me a bunch."

Allie smiled back at him, patting his shoulder, since they were sitting together.

Hawk nodded. "Good. Then you two won't mind working together in a future mission, if necessary."

They discussed the outcome a bit more, then Hawk dismissed the team. Gung Ho and Lady Jaye had their heads together, quietly discussing something as they moved down the hallway. Flint watched them, frowning.

"Flint," Hawk called, as he lingered in the doorway, "I need to see you for a moment."

"Sir," replied Flint, stepping back into the room. Hawk gestured to shut the door behind him, which he did.

Hawk settled behind his desk, gesturing for Flint to have a seat as well.

"So," he said, eyeing his third in command, "tell me what you really thought about the mission and how your teammates did."

Flint was thoughtful for a moment, reflecting back on everything that happened. Hawk waited patiently, knowing that he would get a straight answer from the warrant officer.

"I think Gung Ho and Lady Jaye had a good handle on things. Even when Jaye was poisoned, she was still in control. I would've pulled out at that point, but I'm not her," he explained, shrugging. "She was prepared, I will say that. I don't think I would have ever thought of taking an anti-toxin with me on a mission," he frowned. "I guess I will now," he added with a wry smile. "You can't always rely on having a medic and all the equipment with you."

He paused, then continued. "It was unfortunate that the CIA subgroup interfered. I mean, it was nice to have their help," he explained quickly, noting his CO's expression never wavered. "But I think we would've managed just fine without them."

Hawk nodded, steepling his fingers and leaning forward. "I believe you would have." He narrowed his eyes, studying Flint. When those eyes were on you, it made you feel as though you were transparent. Flint was proud of the fact that he never wavered or squirmed, like he had seen others do before under that gaze.

"I'd like to pair up you and Lady Jaye more. I understand the whole cloak and dagger business, as you call it, isn't exactly your forte, but we haven't utilized her in our combat missions. I'm sure you'll find her technique….interesting," he said with a definite twinkle in his eyes. "You've read her file. She's an excellent pilot and ranger." He nodded, as if making a final decision. "It would be nice if you two could develop a rapport," Hawk said solemnly, but there was still that twinkle present in his eyes. Flint wondered if he knew about the animosity between them.

"That's all," Hawk said, looking down and shuffling some papers around, an obvious sign of dismissal.

"Sir," began Flint hesitantly, "there is one more thing."

Hawk looked up, his expression unreadable.

"The connection between Lady Jaye and Destro."

Hawk nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So you picked up on that," he said quietly, after a moment's silence.

Flint nodded. "I noticed a hesitancy on both their parts today. His pause worked in our favor, but I'm afraid, once they're face to face again…." he trailed off, looking at Hawk expectantly, knowing he didn't have to elaborate anymore.

Hawk nodded again, then sighed. "Somehow, I knew you would pick up on that. Unfortunately, it's not my story to tell. I do want you to know I have the utmost trust in my Joes, ALL my Joes, including Lady Jaye. We can't always choose what happens in our past," he explained quietly. "I'll have a talk with her, if you want, but that's all I can say. If you want to know more, you'd have to ask her."

Flint nodded, knowing that was a dismissal, and got up quietly, shutting the door firmly behind him. He looked down the empty hallway, sighing. She was not going to like this, he could just tell, what Hawk had said about working together and creating a rapport between the two of them.

He wondered if he should take the coward's way out and go through Scarlett. Sighing again, he made his way down the hallway to his office to start typing the report about the mission.


	32. Chapter 32

Flint didn't have the chance to talk to Lady Jaye until almost a week later. He had to wonder if she was avoiding him, because he knew she hadn't been sent on another mission, but he had neither encountered her in the hallways or in the common areas.

He finally got his chance late one night when she had guard duty. He found her chatting with Cover Girl just outside the communications room. Courtney was the first to spot him, and couldn't help the small smile she found crossing her face. **This** should be interesting, she thought, glancing back at her friend.

Allie sighed. "He's behind me, isn't he?" she asked softly, knowing he had finally caught up to her. She had done her best to avoid him, especially after she and Hawk had talked about the Destro situation. She sighed as Courtney's grin widened.

She knew she was trapped. She started guard duty in less than five minutes and would have no way to avoid him. Hawk had told her his desire for the two of them to team up together on more missions and had given her that look that she knew meant he wanted no argument. Why he seemed to take a perverse amusement in their pairing, she had no clue.

"So Flint, what's shaking?" asked Courtney, still grinning. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Surely you didn't pull guard duty tonight, did you? I thought you and Duke didn't have to do the little menial tasks!"

Flint found her smile infectious. "Guard duty menial? No, we all have to do our fair share, don't we?"

"Hmm. Funny thing. Allie's on tonight as well. Well, you two have fun, I'm off to get some well deserved rest!" Courtney called, lifting her hand in a wave as she began to walk off, knowing she was catching a death glare from Allie.

She winked at Flint as she walked by. "Good luck," she whispered loudly.

Allie sighed, entering the room, knowing he was behind her. She could wring Courtney's neck and decided to spend some time tonight plotting an appropriate revenge.

Breaker looked up from the screen and smiled. "Ah, relief." He stood up and stretched, offering her his chair. "Coffee's fresh," he said, indicating a table in the back. "Clutch hasn't been around, so it's safe."

She smiled. Clutch had a habit of adding hot sauce to the pot, claiming it kept him more alert. Unfortunately, no one else thought the same and once he had "doctored" the pot, it took a lot of scrubbing to get the effects out. They'd taken to designating a "Clutch pot," but the Joe had a nasty habit of using others as well.

Breaker nodded at Flint. "It's been quiet, but with Cobra, that doesn't always mean something. Well, you two have fun!" He left, pulling the door shut behind him.

Allie tried not to wince, knowing Breaker didn't mean the way it sounded. She sat on the abandoned chair, while Flint pulled another from the back of the room.

She did a quick survey of the screens, logged into the system, sat back, and waited. She sure as hell wasn't going to start the conversation. She kept her eyes on the screens, staying silent.

Flint repressed a sigh. She wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"Coffee?" he finally asked, getting up to go to the back of the small room.

She shook her head. "I'm fine for now, thanks."

He came back with a cup, taking a sip and wincing at what basically tasted like mud.

She couldn't help it – she smiled at his look. "Yeah, that's the reason. Not too many Joes know how to make good coffee."

She pulled a thermos from her quiver that held her javelins, which she had set beside her chair.

"Get two cups from the back and I'll get you the real stuff."

He did as he was told, wondering if they were actually breaking the ice. Over coffee. Go figure.

She poured them both cups, and he inhaled the scent.

"Hope you like Hazelnut," she said offhandedly. "It was the flavor of the month."

He took a sip. "Wow. Okay, remind me to come to you whenever I need the real stuff, then," he said to her with a smile over his cup.

She found herself returning his smile before she could stop herself.

He tried not to look too cocky, he really did. However, something must have given him away, because she rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen.

"So," he began again, looking more at her than the screens. "I haven't seen you much lately."

He realized how lame it sounded as soon as the words left his mouth.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "Oh, I haven't been anywhere much. Just here."

Deciding to give him a break, she pushed away from the screens and looked at him. "Okay, go ahead and ask. I know you've been dying to."

She crossed her arms, waiting.

Flint nervously ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't quite used to this and had worked out a plan in his mind which went all to hell at this moment.

"What do you think I want to ask you?" he asked evasively.

She sighed, rolled her eyes, and focused her attention back to the monitors.

"Look, we're in here for a 3 hour shift. At some point or another, you were going to bring it up. Regardless of what you told Courtney, I know you managed to somehow snare guard duty at the same time as myself. Either that, Hawk did. So, instead of fumbling around for 2 hours and 45 minutes, let's just get it out now. Ask whatever it is you've been wanting to know and I'll tell you. **If** you have the clearance," she added with a sly smile.

He nearly spilled his coffee over her last comment. He saw she still had her smug look as she concentrated on the monitors.

Fine, then, if she wanted the direct approach. Clearance, his ass.

"So, what is Destro to you then?" he asked, deciding to come straight to the point. She had to admire that, right?

She was quiet for a moment, thinking of a good way to answer that question without giving away too much.

"He's family," she finally answered in a quiet voice. "Not that I like to admit that, or have anyone know," she said with a pointed look. "It doesn't go beyond this room. However, know that it won't interfere with my duties as a Joe. I despise the fact that he decided to align with a terrorist," she finished bitterly.

Flint nodded. He had relatives he wasn't exactly flaunting in front of everyone, but he could see Lady Jaye's point at not wanting others to know about the relationship.

"Anything else?" she asked, her eyes back on the monitors.

"How did you get started in the covert business? I mean, I know you're a specialist with languages…"

He saw her visibly relax and realized he had already asked the question she had been dreading, so maybe just getting to know one another, as Hawk had suggested…..

"I always had this gift of picking up languages. I don't know where it came from," she shrugged. "My dad's job would take us all over the world and all I would have to do is to listen to some of the natives and I could pick up what they were saying after awhile. My undergrad work was more of a liberal studies program, but I focused on languages in graduate school."

"At Trinity," he prompted, which caused her to give him a look.

"You've done your homework then," she murmured. "Yes, I did graduate work at Trinity. After a while, MI-6 came looking for me and from there, GI Joe," she said, deliberately leaving out several years.

"So, what did your dad do, that had you traveling around the world?"

She smiled, knowing she was on safe ground here. "He was a diplomat. I don't know how else to explain it," she shrugged. "The time I spent with him, he had his meetings and such, but always managed to find time to spend with his family. I can't give you a job description. The other half of the year, I spent in the States with my mother." Her voice was deliberately neutral with the last bit of information. He got the idea he would be stonewalled if he asked about her mother. Her tone, talking about her father, had been warm and admiring. He could tell the relationship was not the same with her mother.

"So, where did you matriculate from, then?"

He nodded at her change of subject, knowing it was only fair to share information about himself. "University of Kansas, then Oxford," he told her, glancing at her for a reaction.

She looked stunned, but quickly covered it. "Interesting," she murmured. "I wouldn't have guessed that about you. I would've thought Citadel or West Point."

He smiled. "The Army wasn't my first career choice, although my father would have chosen it for me. No, believe it or not, I studied English Lit at Oxford. The Army came later."

"Rhodes Scholar?" At his nod, she whistled. "Wow. I really wouldn't have thought about you. No offense," she smiled apologetically. "You just seem quite the military career guy to me. I'm thinking not too many of our teammates know this about you."

He smiled sheepishly. "It's not something I advertise, no. Quoting Burnes or Shelley during a battle doesn't seem too appropriate."

She chuckled. "It would make it more interesting, though."

They were silent as they checked the monitors again. Okay, so he had broken the ice with her, so to speak, she thought. One on one, he wasn't that bad of a guy, she mused. They had just gotten a rocky start.

As usual, Hawk had known getting the two of them alone together, to be forced to talk to one another, would help build at least a working relationship between them. She shook her head, amused. Trust that man to think of something like this.

"Penny for your thoughts," he quipped, watching her shake her head and smile.

"Oh, just thinking about how Hawk always has to have his way," she chuckled.

He knew exactly what she was talking about.

"So, what is with the javelins then? I mean, Scarlett has a cross bow and your choice is…?"

She chuckled. "Hey! We gotta be different, right? Trust me, these babies will get you out of just about any situation!"

She patted her sidearm and smiled. "If not, there's always backup."

They talked more, he sharing stories of growing up, hoping she would open up with some of her own, which she did – to a point. He realized he wanted to know everything about her, including why she focused her stories on her dad and her Scottish cousins. She avoided talking about her mother and early life in Massachusetts. He wanted to know about the woman who had warned him to not trust anyone, even his friends, but he knew that would come with time. Time and trust.

They had just finished laughing over something he had said, when Scarlett poked her head in the door.

"Hmm. I see you both are still alive. That's a good sign," she teased.

Allie rolled her eyes. "You ready to take over then?"

Scarlett smiled. "Well, I came a little early, in case I needed to clean up. She has a bit of a temper," she confided unnecessarily to Flint, who, despite himself, smiled.

"I don't know what you and Courtney are so worried over," Allie replied breezily, getting up from her chair. "But just for that crack, I'll leave you with the coffee the boys made."

"Oh geeze, not that!" Scarlett mocked, producing her own thermos. "Did I forget to ask you about borrowing your coffee again?" She waved the thermos in the air, shooting Flint an innocent smile.

"Did she tell you she's a sucker for gourmet coffee? Only the best for our Allie! She gets it shipped in from the manufacturer, fresh, each week!"

Lady Jaye stood with hands on hips, glaring at her friend. "Okay, for that crack, then, you're cut off. I'm putting a lock on the cabinet."

She turned to Flint. "And who doesn't like good coffee? It's not like the government pays for it. After all, their standard isn't all that great! Plus, I never hear any complaints from any of my roomies about it!"

"Hey!" Courtney said, sticking her head in the door. "I do NOT share the opinion of one red-haired woman in this room! Remember that when you lock up the good stuff! I get dibs on the combination!"

Flint sat back, enjoying the banter of the female Joes. It reminded him of his sisters back home, giving him a quick pang of homesickness.

"Anyway," Courtney continued, looking over at Flint, "I'm to rescue you…I mean, tell you that Hawk wants to see you. Actually, both of you," she said, glancing over at Lady Jaye as well.

Scarlett settled herself down in the chair Lady Jaye had abandoned and logged in. "Court? Find that no-good Shipwreck and tell him he's on for duty. Then again, listening to him for three hours…maybe don't find him," she laughed.

Allie smiled good-naturedly at her roommates and walked beside Flint as they made their way to Hawk's office.

The CO looked up as they both approached his door and smiled. "I see you survived," he simply said.

Allie rolled her eyes as she turned to shut the door. Really, she wasn't **that** bad!

Hawk got down to business. "I have a mission I'd like to send both of you on," he began, pushing a piece of paper over to them.

"This is Doctor Olivari. He's been missing now for three days. We believe Cobra's been interested in a matter device he's been working on in his lab. It's also missing."

"How do we know it's Cobra?" asked Allie, her brow furred in concentration, memorizing the picture.

"There were some things found on the scene that point to them," Hawk noted, passing a report to the two of them, which they both read over.

"I want the two of you to go to the lab where the doctor worked, check it out for yourself, and then we have a few locations that we suspect they might have taken the doctor."

They both nodded, still reading over the report.

"We suspect Zartan might have been hired to take the doctor," Hawk continued, meeting Lady Jaye's unwavering gaze. "You'll probably find more evidence of that at the scene, but we know that no one suspicious was reported before the abduction, and there is a guard still missing."

Flint glanced at Lady Jaye, wondering about the unspoken communication between the two.

"You'll leave tonight. Here is the additional information," he said, handing them a folder. "Good luck."

_A/N: Which is a story for another day….I promise I'll try to have it up soon! _


End file.
